MICROFILMED  1992 
COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES/NEW  YORK 


as  part  of  the 
"Foundations  of  Western  Civilization  Preservation  Project" 


Funded  by  the 
NATIONAL  ENDOWMENT  FOR  THE  HUMANITIES 


Reproductions  may  not  be  made  without  permission  from 

Columbia  University  Library 


•itKnV^'Vii^n 


COPYRIGHT  STATEMENT 

Tht  copyright  law  of  the  United  States  --  Title  17,  United 
States  Code  --  concerns  the  making  of  photocopies  or  othf 
reproductions  of  copyrighted  material... 

Columbia  Universit}'  Library  reserves  the  right  to  refuse  t( 
accept  a  copy  order  if,  in  its  judgement,  fulfillment  of  the 
would  involve  violation  of  the  copyright  law. 


AUTHOR: 


FRAZEE,  W.  D.  (WILLIAM 
DONIPHAN) 


TITLE: 


REMINISCENCES  AND 
SERMONS 

PL  A  CE: 

NASHVILLE  ,  TENN. 

DATE: 

1 898,  C1 892 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARIES 
PRESERVATION  DEPARTMENT 


Master  Negative  # 

l^s3o'MsJi 


Restrictions  tn  Use: 


BIBLIOGRAPHIC  MICROFORM  TARCFT 


Original  Material  as  Filmed  ■ 

-  Existing  Bibliographic  Record 

938.92 
F869 

1 

i 

^       n        1822- 
""„S;;i3C0„ces  a"d  ser-cr.   Nashville,  Ta„„ 
Gospel  advocate  pub.  co.,  ioyo. 
396,  7  p.  ports. 


TECHNICAL  MICROFOI^M  DATA 


FILM     SIZE:__3^onf2-r^^__  REDUCTION     RATIO: 

IMAGE  PLACEMENT:    \h  \V^     IB     IIB  ^ 

DATE     FILMED:__^l/iL^/o_2_ INITIALS tl_^l_ 

HLMEDBY:    RESEARCIi  PUBLICATIONS,  INC  VVOODBRIDGE.  CT 


/  OA 


Centimeter 

1         2         3 


C 


Association  for  Information  and  Image  Management 

1 1 00  Wayne  Avenue,  Suite  1 1 00 
Silver  Spring.  Maryland  20910 

301/587-8202 


II! 


Illlilllllllllllllilllllllllllll 


4    5    6 

iliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiii 


T 


m  1  I 


II 


8    9   10 

II  iiiiliii  liiiiliiiiliii 


TTT 


Ml 


n       12       13       14 

liiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiiliiiili 


m 


TTT 


15    mm 


Ui 


Inches 


.0 


I.I 


1.25 


1^ 

1  71 
■  ■0 


2.8 


3.2 


M 

i^ 


1.4 


2.5 


2.2 


2.0 


1.8 


1.6 


MRNUFRCTURED   TO  RUM  STRNDflRDS 
BY   APPLIED   IMRGE,     INC. 


■  *JM   -    r- 1  Y'Bi  ii>  f. 


'■■^L      *riS   iittlHMi 


Jfy,rt^  V»     .         ^^ 


"^;S^*««^s-*»*rt' .>*iifW«^^ 


br#  •^(-f  '"^' 


&M1 


^.->ir.-  -.v.»v  *\^wi^»;.^v*^^•>s^ss«*?a?«s«^»!«a«*^*8w'^^ 


I* 


%  y 


WW 


1' 

f 

i\:d 

1' 

,,    ^ 

^ 

t. 

1 

^ 

r 

^vc  »■ 

'1 

1'!^-^^  ^ 

1 

1 

» 

%■ 


^ -  W*^ 


* 


11  f# 


4/ 


.;^^:;:^ 


A   ^    ^^ 


m  v^^^'^^-Si 


J  ^.  "*^ 


^M^^ 


•y  ^■-■^'•\<-  y.«--' 


^1 


<^1^ 


F«K.- 


/jit^t- 


/f!^^ 


'K- 


ro 


^1 


i'£,- 


^:i 


^r^^lXN 


THE  LIBHAKIES 


Bequest  of 

Frederic  Bancroft 
1860-1945 


f\ 


/    ^ 


;«*^^ 


'-^ 


/S^': 


}     - 


V^v 


'.p.-s-**?;;^ 


f/       li 


K^' 


^^^ 


^i:^' 


1 


i 


REMINISCENCES. 


AND 


E  R  M  O  N  S , 


■by- 


Elder  W.  D.  Frazee, 

OCEANSIDE,  CAL. 


Author  of  '  'Sunshine  and  Shadows  in  Southern 
Lands''  ''San  Bernardino  County,  its 
Climate  and  Resources, **  " Ocean- 
side  the  Gateway  City,''  etc. 


Nashvii.i,e,  Tenn.: 
GOSPKI.  ADVOCATE)  PUBLISHING  CO. 


^  «  t 


189S. 


W.  D.  Frazee. 


»  «     •    t    ..      J         »       •  »   *  ',    »  , 


>     I        J  »     0 

•  •      «         t     « 


^a-/^^«C  ^ 


H 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  189S, 

By  W.  D.  Frazes 

In  the  clerk's  office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United 
States,  for  the  District  of  California. 


3/7f9C 


■  1  • 


•  •  •  - .  r :  • :  •  •    •  •        • 


«   • 


'  •  •  •  • 


•  • 


V  1 


»      a 


*         •  • 

C 


•  ♦  •      . 


•  *.      * 


f 


f 


:   1 


»'. 


r. 


K 


1o 

% 

♦ 


i 

* 


To 

Elder  B.  F.  Coulter, 

This  Volume  is  Respectfully  Dedicated 

By  His  Friend, 

The  Author. 


> 


PREFACE  TO  SECOND  EDITION. 


MY  daughter  sent  me  a  blank  book  with  a  request  that  I 
would  fill  it  with  sermons.     I  wrote  in  her  book  a  short 
sketch  of  the  church  during  the  first  century.     It  is  not  gener- 
ally known  that  we  have  the  writings  of  nine  historians  that 
have  descended  to  us  who  live<l  during  the  first  century.     All 
of  them  wrote  about  the  Christian  church,  and  a  part  of  them 
wx^e  acquainted  with  some  of  the  apostles.     I  quote  from  some 
of  their  writings,  and  give  a  short  account  of  the  church,  in- 
cluding the  Lutheran  reformation  of  1540,  the  Presbyterian 
reformation  of  1550,  the  Baptist  reformation  of  1660,  the  Meth- 
oilist  reformation,  under  Wesley,  beginning  in  1740,  and  the 
restoration  movement  under  B.  W.  Stone,  Levi  Purviance  and 
four  other  Presbyterian  preachers,  beginning  June  28,  1804,  at 
Cane  Ridge,  Ky.,  and  A.  Campbell  who  came  to  America  in 
1809.     In  1811  he  withdrew  from  the   Presbyterian  church  and 
was  immersed.    In  1812  he  prevailed  on  the  church  to  change 
their  name  to  the  Disciple  church,  and  in  Jan.,  1832,  a  union 
of  the  Christians  under  Stone,  and  the  Disciples  under  Camp- 
bell took  place,  and  Raccoon  John  Smith  and  John  Rodgers 
wx^re  sent  out  to  unite  the  Christians  and  Disciples.     And  who 
the  preachers  were  for  the  first  twenty -five  years.     Attending 
the  annual  meeting  at  Los  Angeles,  I  read  what  I  had  written. 
The  preachers  requested  its  publication.     A  friend  had  it  pub- 
lished, and  it  has  met  with  a  warm  reception  and  a  second 
edition  is  called  for ;  and  without  the  consent  of  her  who  had 
it  written,  or  him  who  had  it  published,  I  have  inserted  their 
photographs.  The  Author; 


B^ 


Preface. 

A  NOBLE  Christian  brother,  esteemed  very  highly  by  the 
^^  author,  suggested  the  publication  of  these  sermons.  It 
is  to  be  hoped  that  his  judgment  was  not  w^arped  by  friendship. 
With  many  doubts  and  misgivings,  they  are  sent  forth  on  a 
mission  of  mercy. 

It  is  very  diflacult  to  write  sermons  that  will  please  Christians 
and  the  world.  In  two  respects  the  writer  has  attempted  to 
cater  to  the  taste  of  the  world. 

First.  He  has  endeavored  to  clothe  the  divine,  serious,  life- 
giving  truths,  in  popular  dress,  for  in  this  age,  truth  is  not  so 
well  received  unless  presented  in  an  interesting  style. 

Secondly.  The  public  taste  has  been  consulted,  in  making 
these  sermons  brief,  except  in  a  few  instances  where  the  writer 
has  been  in  deep  water,  beyond  the  breakers,  and  it  has  re- 
quired some  time  for  him  to  paddle  to  the  shore. 

With  the  public  there  is  great  aversion  to  lengthy  discourses 
on  any  subject,  and  particularly  it  is  the  case  when  religious 
subjects  are  under  discussion.  The  writer  has  endeavored  to 
wTite  with  the  gravity  that  belongs  to  these  sacred  subjects; 
with  a  humorous  style,  and  has  been  desirous  to  gratify  the 
public  taste,  without  sacrificing  too  much  to  it. 

He  has  discussed  a  variety  of  religious  subjects,  without  a 
hope  of  shedding  light  on  them;  as  they  have  already  been 
presented  in  an  able,  eloquent  and  lucid  manner  by  the 
most  learned  men;  yet  every  writer  is  distinguished  by  his 
peculiar  manner  of  expression  of  though* 

(6) 


\ 


PREFACE. 


PREFACE. 


That  there  are  many  imperfections  in  the  following  pages, 
the  author  is  apprised  and  requests  that  they  be  kindly  over- 
looked; he  claims  that  the  sermons  are  an  epitome  of  scriptural 
truths  presented  in  scriptural  language,  and  the  reader  may 
rely  on  their  truthfulness.  Car  loads  of  paper  are  emptied  into 
the  mill  every  week,  and  tens  of  thousands  of  books  are  ground 
out,  and  a  patient  public  submits  to  the  infliction  without  a 
groan.  A  great  majority  of  these  books  are  on  irreligious  sub- 
jects, and  very  many  of  them  consist  of  highly  colored  fiction, 
at  war  with  nature  and  with  self  at  war.  And  as  this  is  desig- 
nated a  Christian  land,  religious  books  should  keep  pace  with 
the  light  literature  of  the  day.  If  it  is  important  to  amuse  and 
tickle  the  fancy  that  time  may  glide  unnoticed  by,  and  as 
a  majority  of  writers  are  piping  to  the  millions  who  are 
dancing  down  to  eternal  death,  it  surely  is  important  to  ad- 
minister an  antidote  if  it  has  to  be  sugar-coated  and  given  in 
homeopathic  doses,  for  men  should  not  sacrifice  their  interest 
for  the  fleeting  pleasures  of  time.  The  wisest  men  that  have 
ever  lived  have  had  their  minds  warped  by  education;  and  the 
author  probably  has  been  influenced  in  this  way  in  the  selec- 
tion of  the  subjects  he  has  discussed,  yet  as  they  are  all  Bible 
subjects  and  all  men  are  deeply  interested  in  them,  the  writer 
is  desirous  that  they  receive  a  careful  and  prayerful  reading. 

The  principal  object  in  publishing  this  book,  is  that  the 
author  may  have  something  that  will  be  doing  good  in  our 
Master's  vineyard  after  he  is  deposited  in  the  narrow  house, 
appointed  for  all  the  living.  Although  he  has  been  a  member 
of  the  church  for  more  than  fifty  years  he  feels  that  he  has 
done  but  little  good  for  mankind,  and  that  the  praise  may  be 
given  to  the  author's  Master,  who  provided  the  scheme  of  re- 


demption and  deserves  all  the  praise  and  the  adoration  of  all 
men  both  now  and  forever. 

A  few  persons  would  have  valued  this  book  more,  if  the 
author  had  been  more  prolix,  and  with  more  copious  argu- 
ments and  illustrations  drawn  from  the  word  of  inspiration; 
but  I  have  sought  to  please  a  much  more  numerous  class  who 
demand  brevity  and  a  popular  style.  The  lading  of  this  little 
vessel  is  not  intended  expressly  for  the  professor,  and  much 
less  for  his  teacher;  this  is  the  author's  apology  for  the 
quality  of  the  food  with  which  the  larder  is  stored,  and  the 
style  of  dispensing  it.  As  suggested,  the  tendency  of  the  world 
at  present  is  to  seek  only  small  and  easily  digested  articles  of 
the  literary  disk,  and  as  the  most  precious  jewels  are  found  in 
the  conglomerate  or  in  the  soil,  so  sometimes  the  most  precious 
thoughts  are  found  in  little  books  and  clothed  in  few  w^ords. 
Hoping  that  some  poor  sinner  may  find  herein  the  pearl  of 
great  price,  has  been  a  cause  of  pushing  this  petty  barque  from 
the  pebbled  shore,  and  launching  it  amid  the  breakers  to 
grapple  with  its  fellows  in  the  pursuit  of  fame,  wealth  and 
honor  in  a  cold  and  friendless  world. 

The  cargo  is  humbly  consigned  to  the  Father  of  mercies  and 
the  God  of  love,  praying  earnestly  that  his  only  Son  may  take 
charge  of  the  little  craft  and  give  it  a  prosperous  voyage. 

By  The  AlIithor. 


>  11 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTERS  I.-V.— Reminiscences  of  the  Reformation  of  the  Nine- 
teenth Century 

CHAPTER  VI.— A  Recapitulation 

CHAPTER  VII.— The  Office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  Conversion 

CHAPTER  VIII.— All  Men  are  Stewards 

CHAPTER  IX.— Baptism 

CHAPTER  X.— Moses  as  a  Type  of  Christ 

CHAPTER  XI.— God  is  Love;  and  Where  Love  is  There  is  God  also. 

CHAPTER  XII.— Faith 

CHAPTER  XIII.— The    Lord's  Supper  

CHAPTER  XIV.— Advice  to  a  Young  Preacher 

CHAPTER  XV.— Prophecies  Now  Being  Fulfilled 

CHAPTER  XVI.— Can  Our  Feelings  be  Relied  on  as  Evidence  of 
Pardon 

CHAPTER  XVII.— Prayer 

CHAPTER  XVIII.— Trinity 

CHAPTER  XIX.— Reconciliation 

CHAPTER  XX.— Solomon  and  Paul  Contrasted 

CHAPTER  XXI.-Suflferings  of  Christ 

CHAPTER  XXII.— The  World  Upside  Down 

CHAPTER  XXIII.— First  Peter 

CHAPTER  XXIV.— The  True  Tabernacle 

CHAPTER  XXV.— Growth 

CHAPTER  XXVI.— The  Soul 

CHAPTER  XXVIL— Whither  are  we  Tending 

CHAPTER  XXVIII— David  and  Solomon  Compared  

CHAPTER  XXIX.— Large  Oaks  From  Little  Acorns  Grow 

CHAPTER  XXX.— What  Must  I  do  to  be  Saved.. 

CHAPTER  XXXI.— The  Name  Christian 

CHAPTER  XXXII.— Christian  Union 


.  •  •  .••••. 


^121 
122-183 
18a-196 
197-206 
207-216 
216-222 
22a-240 
241-250 
251-264 
265-969 
270-284 

286-293 
294-300 
301-309 
310-314 
316-321 
322-327 
328-333 
334-^38 
339-343 
344-3 i7 
348-357 
36&^1 
362-371 
372-373 
374-380 
381-386 
887-396 


(8) 


Autobiographical  Sketch  of  W.  D.  Frazee. 


Some  of  my  friends  having"  expressed  a  wish  to  know 
more  about  the  personal  history  of  the  author  of  "  Remi- 
niscences and  Sermons,"  I  haVe  concluded  to  preface  the 
present  edition  with  a  short,  condensed  autobiographical 
sketch. 

My  early  paternal  ancestors  were  English,  one  of  whom 
emigrated  to  America  before  the  War  of  Independence  and 
settled  in  New  Jersey,  where  he  held  a  land  grant  from  the 
Crown,  One  of  the  many  descendants  of  this  Frazee,  now 
to  be  found  scattered  in  several  States  of  the  Union,  was 
my  grandfather,  Samuel  Frazee,  who  was  born  in  New  Jer- 
sey, November  6,  1753.  About  twelve  j^ears  after  this  the 
family  moved  to  the  western  part  of  Pennsylvania,  where, 
two  or  three  years  later,  the  head  of  the  family,  Ephraim 
Frazee,  died.  This  to  a  large  extent  left  the  care  and  sup- 
port of  the  family  devolving  upon  Samuel,  then  a  youth  of 
about  fifteen.  Having  neither  the  money  nor  influence  to 
secure  a  position  in  permanent  business,  he  resorted  to 
hunting  and  trapping  as  a  means  of  supplying  the  urgent 
wants  of  the  family.  After  the  battle  of  Point  Pleasant, 
in  which  my  grandfather  took  a  part,  the  family  moved  to 
the  Big  Kanawha;  and  from  here,  with  a  single  companion, 
he  descended  the  Ohio  River  to  Limestone  (now  Maysville), 
and  thence  proceeded  to  Harrodsburg.  Space  will  not  per- 
mit me  here  to  record  the  many  narrow  escapes  he  made 
in  his  individual  encounters  with  the  Indians  or  his  par- 
ticipation in  Indian  battles.  I  will  only  add  an  extract 
from  an  obituary  notice  which  appeared  a  few  days  after 
his  death,  written  by  an  old  friend,  an  honored  citizen  of 
Mason  County,  Ky.: 

"Died,  on  the  12th  inst.   [November,  1849],  at  his  resi- 

(i) 


ii 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  W.  D.  FRAZEE. 


dence,  near  Germantown,  Mason  County,  Kj.,  Mr.  Samuel 
Frazee,  Sr.     The  deceased  was  born  in  November,  1753,  and 
departed  this  life  in  November,  1849,  giving-  a  length  of  life 
of  ninety-six  years.    After  having  encountered   a  border 
warfare    in    Western    Pennsylvania    and    Virginia,    he    mi- 
grated to  Kentucky  in  1779,  and  was  at  the  Falls  of  the 
Ohio  at  the  original  laying  out  of  lots  of  the  town  of  Louis- 
ville.   He  was  sent  alone  from  that  point  to  Harrod's  Sta- 
tion, giving  important   information   that  led   to   the   con- 
vention of  Col.  Bowman's  command  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Licking.    After  the  termination  of  that  campaign  he  re- 
turned   home,    and    again    visited    Kentucky    in    1784,    was 
associated  with  Col.  Boone  and  Simon  Kenton,  and,  under 
the  command  of  the  latter,  was  in  the  action  of  Todd's 
Fork;  and,  having  ventured  freely  in  reclaiming  this  por- 
tion of  Kentucky,  settled  finally  in  Mason  County.     The 
writer  of  this  article  has  more  than  once  listened  to  the 
recitals  of  Kenton  and  Frazee;  for  Kenton  never  failed  to 
visit  his  old   companion   after  moving  to  Ohio,   and  they 
fought  their  battles  over  again.     In  all  the  relations  of  life 
the  deceased  was  strictly  honest  and  faithful  in  their  dis- 
charge.    The  deceased  was  long  since,  with  wife  and  most 
of  his  children,   immersed   for   the   remission  of  his   sins. 
One  faith,  one  hope,  one  Lord,  one  baptism,  were  the  cardi- 
nal principles  that  led  him,  on  each  first  day  of  the  week, 
as  long  as  his  health  permitted  him,  to  be  seen  wending  his 
way  to  the  meeting  house,  and  never  was  his  seat  vacant 
unless  from  stern  necessity.    The  duties  of  parent  were 
affectionately  and  faithfully  attended  to.     He  used  neither 
liquor  nor  tobacco  nor  useless  talk." 

My  father,  Ephraim  Frazee,  the  second  child  of  Samuel 
Frazee  and  Rebecca  J.  Frazee,  was  born  August  17,  1792, 
and,  after  receiving  his  education,  served  one  campaign  in 
the  War  of  1812.  Subsequently  he  read  medicine  with  Dr. 
Anderson  Doniphan,  then  a  prominent  physician  and  sur- 
geon in  Northern  Kentucky,  and,  in  July,   1816,  married 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH   OF   W.    D.    FRAZEE. 


Ill 


Susan  Doniphan.  After  attending  medical  lectures  in 
Philadelphia,  he  commenced  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Mays  Lick,  Ky.  Here  my  father  continued  the  practice 
with  both  success  and  profit  until  the  autumn  of  1824,  when 
he  was  taken  sick,  and,  after  a  very  brief  illness,  died  on 
October  6,  leaving  my  mother  a  widow,  with  four  orphan 
boys,  the  youngest  only  two  days  old. 

My  maternal  ancestors,  the  Doniphans,  were  Sjianish, 
one  of  whom  emigrated  to  Scotland  and  there  married  a 
wealthy  heiress  by  the  name  of  Mott.  One  of  their  sons 
moved  to  the  colony  of  Virginia  and  settled  on  the  Potomac 
River.  My  grandfather,  Joseph  Donij^han,  one  of  his  de- 
scendants, was  born  in  Virginia  about  1758,  and,  entering 
the  Continental  army,  was  with  one  or  two  of  his  brothers 
in  the  battle  of  Brandywine,  his  company  being  com- 
manded by  Capt.  John  Marshall,  afterwards  Chief  Justice 
of  the  Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States.  In  this  engage- 
ment an  older  brother,  George  Doniphan,  was  killed  near 
him.  After  being  mustered  out  of  service,  he  visited  Ken- 
tucky, and,  in  the  winter  of  1778-79,  taught  the  children  in 
Boonsboro  Fort,  the  second  school  taught  in  Kentucky. 
He  returned  to  Virginia,  reentered  the  army,  and  w^as 
present  at  the  surrender  of  Yorktov/n.  He  married  Ann 
Smith,  a  daughter  of  Capt.  William  Smith,  of  the  Conti- 
nental arm}'.  In  1786  and  1787  he  w^as  a  Justice  of  the 
Peace  in  Stafford  County,  and  afterwards  Sheriff  of  the 
same  county.  His  old  docket  as  Justice  of  the  Peace  is 
still  in  my  family,  and  is  written  in  a  fine  business  hand, 
and  kept  in  pounds,  shillings,  and  pence.  In  a  number  of 
the  cases  George  Washington  is  entered  as  plaintiff,  the 
"  father  of  his  country  "  having  many  tenants  on  his  land 
in  Stafford.  As  so  many  pounds  of  tobacco  appears  as  a 
credit  on  some  of  the  judgments  in  the  docket,  the  weed  in 
those  days  seems  often  to  have  been  used  as  a  substitute 
for  money.  In  1792  my  grandfather,  in  company  with  his 
younger  brother,  Anderson,  then  a  young  married  man,  set- 


IV 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  W.  D.  FBAZEE. 


tied  in  Mason  County,  Ky.,  about  four  miles  from  Washing- 
ton,  then  the  county  seat.     In  1796  he  was  an  acting  Justice 
of  the  Peace  in  Mason  County,  his  old  docket  for  that  year 
being-  still  in  my  family.     I  am  told  that  he  was  a  man  of 
agreeable    manners,    popular   among    his    neighbors,    and 
highly  respected  for  his  integrity  and  his  sterling  worth. 
He  died  in  1812  or  1813,  leaving  a  widow,  three  sons,  and 
^ye  daughters,  of  which  my  mother,  Susan  Doniphan,  was 
the  third.     She  was  bom  November  12,  1794,  and  in  July, 
1816,  was  married  to  Ephraim  Frazee.    Her  happy  married 
life  was  suddenly  cut  short  by  the  death  of  her  husband, 
which  left  to  her  the  sole  care  of  her  little  children.     She 
said  that,  in  this  great  hour  of  trial,  death  would  have  been 
a  welcome  messenger;    but,  fortunately   for   us,   she   was 
spared  to  raise  her  children,  which  she  did  with  great  care 
and  devotion.     Our  education  was  particularly  looked  to, 
and,  after  attending  the  best  country  schools,  each  of  us 
was  sent  to  college.    In  1837  my  mother  moved  to  Rush 
County,  Ind.,  locating  on  the  large,  handsome  farm  pur- 
chased many  years  before  by  my  father,  where  she  died  on 
December  27,  1884,  being,  at  the  time  of  her  death,  ninety 
years,  one  month,  and  ten  days  old.     She  had  been  a  widow 
for  sixty  years,  and  a  worthy  member  of  the   Christian 
Church  for  more  than  fifty  years.     She  left  four  children 
(never  having  lost  one),  twenty-four  grandchildren,   and 
twenty-seven  great-grandchildren— in  all  fifty-five  descend- 
ants.    My  mother  was  a  woman  of  strong  convictions  and 
strong,  lasting  attachments,  and  hence  made  many  warm 
friends  wherever  she  lived.     She  had  great  pride  of  charac- 
ter and  a  profound  contempt  for  mean  acts.    She  enter- 
tained with  liberal  hospitality  and  was  generous   to   the 
poor.     She  was  refined  in  her  manners  and  tastes;  in  her 
dress,  scrupulously  neat;  and  in  her  housekeeping,  a  model 
of  industry.    She  was  very  fond  of  fiowers,  and  success- 
fully cultivated  them  with  her  own  hands.    She  found  time 
to  do  a  good  deal  of  reading,  especially  in  the  Bible  and  in 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  W.  D.  FRAZEE. 


religious  books  and  periodicals.  Her  memory  was  remark- 
ably good,  and  when  nearly  ninety  years  of  age  she  could 
relate,  w4th  great  clearness,  incidents  which  had  occurred 
three-quarters  of  a  century  before;  but  what  was  even 
more  remarkable  for  one  of  her  age  was  her  familiarity 
with,  and  ready  recollection  of,  very  recent  events. 

I  was  born  in  Mays  Lick,  Ky.,  April  9, 1822,  being  the  third 
son  of  Ephraim  and  Susan  Frazee.  After  attending  various 
country  schools,  I  went  to  Bacon  College,  located  at  George- 
town, Ky.,  and  then  under  the  presidency  of  that  able 
preacher  and  polished  speaker,  David  Burnett.  In  1840  I 
commenced  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  McClung  & 
Taylor,  in  Washington,  then  the  county  seat  of  Mason 
County,  Ky.  This  firm  did  a  large  and  successful  business. 
I  obtained  my  license  to  practice  law  in  1842,  and  opened  an 
office  in  Greenup,  the  county  seat  of  Greenup  County,  prac- 
ticing in  this  and  the  adjoining  county  of  Carter  till  Octo- 
ber, 1843,  when  I  moved  to  Rush  County,  Ind.  In  May, 
1846,  in  company  with  P.  M.  Cassady,  I  left  Rushville  and 
went  West,  locating  at  Fort  Des  Moines,  la.  Here  Cassady, 
Dr.  Fagan,  and  myself  laid  off  a  town  plot,  which  after- 
wards grew  to  be  a  town  and  ultimately  the  capital  of  th« 
State. 

On  November  10,  1849,  I  started  for  California.  During 
my  three  years'  absence  I  kept  a  diary,  which  was  after- 
wards published.  While  in  California,  in  May,  1851,  I  was 
selected  by  the  Whigs  of  Tuolumne  County  to  run  for  the 
State  Senate.  I  entered  into  an  active  canvass,  making  a 
number  of  speeches  and  running  ahead  of  the  ticket,  but 
not  entirely  overcoming  the  usual  Democratic  majority. 

On  May  14,  1854,  after  my  return  from  California,  I  mar- 
ried Rebecca  Jenkinson,  an  accomplished  Christian  woman 
of  a  gentle,  affectionate  disposition,  refined  in  her  tastes, 
and  loved  wherever  she  lived.  After  living  with  her  for 
more  than  twenty  years,  if  she  had  a  fault,  I  know  it  not. 
In  this  same  vear  I  located  at  Winchester  and  opened  a 


vi 


AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH  OF  W.  D.  FRAZEE. 


law  office  with  Judge  Brown,  and  in  1856  formed  a  part- 
nership with  Judge  Jerry  Smith.  While  living  at  Winches- 
ter I  fitted  up  my  cabinet  of  minerals,  geological  specimens, 
and  curiosities,  which,  with  some  rare  old  books  (one  of 
them  an  illuminated  Bible,  printed  in  1480,  sent  to  me  by 
my  friend  Luers,  of  Fort  Wayne,  Ind.,  Bishop  of  the  Catho- 
lic Church)  and  my  collection  of  autographs,  seemed  to 
prove  attractive  to  my  many  friends  and  visitors. 

In  1869  I  took  up  my  residence  in  Indianapolis,  and 
opened  a  law  office  with  Prof.  John  Young;  and  four  years 
later,  my  wife  being  in  declining  health,  I  moved  to  the 
town  of  San  Bernardino,  Cal.  At  this  time  the  trains  were 
climbing  over  the  Rockies  and  the  Sierras,  reducing  the 
journey  from  ocean  to  ocean  from  months  to  a  few  days, 
and  giving  a  new  impetus  to  the  growth  and  development 
of  this  wonderful  country.  But  dark  days  came  to  our 
happy  home,  and  death  to  our  little  fireside.  After  a  pain- 
ful illness,  borne  with  true  Christian  resignation,  my  wife 
died  on  September  3,  1876.  Besides  this  irreparable  loss, 
later  on  I  had  the  misfortune  to  lose  my  youngest  child— a 
bright,  promising  boy— of  lockjaw.  This  was  the  third 
time  death  had  visited  the  family.  We  had  a  five-year-old 
daughter  to  go  to  sleep  in  1870. 

In  1879,  after  having  been  engaged  in  the  law  for  many 
years,  I  quit  the  practice.  The  case  which  gave  me  as 
much  (if  not  more)  satisfaction  as  any  other  during  my 
practice,  on  account  of  the  valuable  interests  involve*d,  as 
well  as  the  great  ability  and  high  standing  of  the  opposing 
counsel,  occurred  during  my  residence  at  Winchester,  Ind. 
I  was  solicited  by  Alexander  Stephens  to  bring  suit  to  gain 
title  to  two  hundred  acres  of  land  left  by  his  grandfather 
to  his  son,  Samuel  Stephens,  with  a  proviso  that,  if  he  died 
without  an  heir,  the  land  should  go  to  his  grandson,  Alex- 
ander, and  his  sister.  His  uncle,  Samuel,  sold  the  land  and 
deeded  it  away,  but  died  without  having  married.  Now, 
as  every  deceased  person  has  heirs,  even  where  he  has  no 


ATJTOBIOGRAPHICAL   SKETCH   OF   W.    D.   FRAZEE. 


Vll 


issue,  and  the  law  of  Indiana  being  explicit  that  the  lan- 
guage of  wills  shall  be  strictly  construed,  my  partner, 
Judge  James  Brown,  a  fine  lawyer,  said  we  could  not  re- 
cover the  land.  Thinking  we  could  recover  it,  I  contracted 
that  if  I  did  not  gain  it  we  would  not  charge  a  fee.  We 
gained  the  case  in  the  lower  court,  but  the  counsel  on  the 
other  side.  Gov.  O.  P.  Morton  and  Judge  William  A.  Peeler, 
carried  the  case  to  the  Supreme  Court,  and  the  judgment  of 
the  lower  court  was  affirmed. 

While  living  at  San  Bernardino,  Cal.,  and  editing  the 
Argus,  I  published  my  book,  entitled  "  San  Bernardino 
County:  Its  Climate  and  Resources,"  which  had  a  very 
flattering  sale  and  yielded  a  good  profit.  In  1887  I  pub- 
lished my  small  book,  "  The  Gateway  City,"  and  sold  seven 
thousand  copies  at  a  handsome  profit.  In  1892  I  published 
my  '*  Reminiscences  and  Sermons,"  which  has  already 
passed  through  four  editions. 

I  obeyed  the  gospel  in  February,  1840,  and  have  now 
(1897)  been  a  member  of  Christ's  kingdom  for  fifty-seven 
years.  Soon  after  locating  at  San  Bernardino,  I  began  to 
preach  regularly,  and  since  then,  a  period  of  some  twenty- 
four  years,  have  continued  in  the  work.  In  that  time  I 
have  preached  in  quite  a  number  of  States  and  Territories — 
California,  Oregon,  Colorado,  Kansas,  Missouri,  Illinois, 
Indiana,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  Mississippi,  Alabama,  Ar- 
kansas, Texas,  and  Arizona — covering  a  distance  of  many 
thousands  of  miles.  Through  all  these  years  I  have  been 
preserved  and  blessed  by  our  all-kind  Heavenly  Father,  my 
great  regret  being  that  I  have  not  done  more  effectual 
work  in  his  harvest  field,  where  the  grain  is  ripe,  but  the 
reapers  are  few. 

Let  me  say  to  my  preaching  brethren,  especially  to  our 
young  preachers,  never  be  discouraged  by  small  congrega* 
tions.  I  think  some  of  the  most  profitable  and  enjoj^ble 
meetings  I  have  ever  held  were  where  a  few  earnest  spirits 
had  come  together  to  learn  God's  will  and  to  faithfully 


Viii         AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCH   OF   W.   D.   FRAZEE. 

obey  his  commands.  Of  these  many  happy  little  meetingps, 
still  remembered  with  so  much  pleasure,  I  will  mention 
one:  I  was  requested  by  Capt.  Foster  to  preach  at  the 
schoolhouse,  twenty  miles  north  of  San  Diego.  There  were 
nine  persons  present — Capt.  Foster  and  wife  and  seven 
others.  I  dwelt  on  the  importance  of  Christian  union, 
offered  an  invitation,  and  six  out  of  the  nine  came  for- 
ward. Capt.  Foster  and  his  wife,  who  had  been  members 
of  the  Methodist  Church  for  eight  years,  were  among  the 
number.  I  buried  them  in  baptism  that  afternoon  in  the 
lake  on  Capt.  Foster's  ranch.  I  organized  a  Sunday  school 
and  left  them  in  working  order,  and  instituted  reading  the 
Scriptures  and  family  prayers  in  Capt.  Foster's  house. 
Only  two  out  of  the  nine  were  left  out  of  the  Christian 
Church,  as  Sister  Johnson,  one  of  the  nine,  was  a  member 
l>«fore.  W.  D.  FRAZEE. 


I^emi9i5ee9Ges  aijd  5sr/nops. 


CHAPTER  I. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION   OF    THE    NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

THERE  is  only  one  church  entitled  to  be  called 
"  the  church,"  and  that  T^^as  not  "  enlarged 
somewhat,"  but  began  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  in 
the  year  of  our  Lord  34,  in  the  city  of  Jerusalem. 

The  church  is  founded  on  the  gospel,  or  good 
news,  namely,  "  the  death,  burial  and  resurrection 
of  Jesus."  1  Cor.  xv:  3.  And  then,  too,  the 
church  had  to  begin  at  Jerusalem.  Micah  iv:  2, 
"  The  law  shall  go  forth  from  Jerusalem."  And 
our  Lord  said,  ''Repentance  and  remission  of  sins 
should  be  preached  in  his  name,  among  all  nations 
beginning  at  Jerusalem."  Luke  xxiv:  47.  ''On 
this  rock  I  will  build  my  church."     Matt,  xvi:  18. 

When  or  where  else  could  the  church  have  had 
a  beginning?  iTot  at  Sinai;  that  law  was  given 
alone  to  the  Jews.  John  the  Baptist  gave  no  law 
to  the  Gentiles.     And  the  apostles  were  forbidden 

(9) 


10 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


to  preach  to  any  but  the  Jews  until  Tentecost,  not 
until  the  first  ripe  sheaf  had  been  waved  as  an 
oftering.     Mark  xvi:  16,  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world' 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature."     This  is 
the  first  time  the  gospel  was  ever  ottered  to  the 
Gentiles.    And  it  was  a  propitious  time ;  Pente- 
cost had  fully  come.     The  disciples,  the  apostles, 
the  women  and  Mary  the  mother  of  Jesus  were 
there.     O !  woman  !  woman  !!  thou  art  the  pedestal 
upon  which  the  human  family  revolves;  first  in 
Paradise  lost,  the  first  in  Paradise  regained,  Chris- 
tianity found  you  a  slave,  and  crowned  you  a 
queen.     Last  at  the  cross,  and  first  at  the  tomb. 
Thou  art  the  salt  of  the  earth,  the  bulk  of  the 
church  below,  and  of  the  church  above. 

It  was  a  beautiful  Lord's  day  morning ;  a  throng 
was  in  Jerusalem,  and  as  the  custom  was,  persons 
from  all  parts  of  the  civilized  world  had  remained 
over  from  passover  until  Pentecost.  And  in  the 
holy  city,  the  former  home  of  Shem,  the  Melchise- 
dec  of  Genesis.  Here  where  Abraham  oftered  up 
Isaac;  here  where  the  temple  stood,  the   church 

began. 

Fifty  days  before,  an  earthquake  had  rent  the 
veil  of  the  temple  from  top  to  bottom,  and  had 


REMINISCENCES    OF    TUE    REFORMATION. 


11 


opened  graves  "and  many  bodies  of  the  saints, 
which  slept,  arose  and  came  out  of  their  graves 
after  his  resurrection,  and  went  into  the  holy  city, 
and  appeared  to  many."  And  darkness  was  over 
the  earth  from  12  o'clock  noon,  until  3  p.  m.,  and 
the  body  of  Jesus  had  been  missed  from  the  tomb, 
and  the  soldiers  could  not  tell  what  had  become  of 
it.  And  now  to  add  to  the  excitement,  illiter- 
ate fishermen  were  speaking  in  seventeen  lan- 
guages. 

Then  and  there  on  Pentecost  the  church  began, 
and  on  that  first  day  as  many  as  suftered  them- 
selves to  be  led  by  the  Spirit  gladly  received  the 
word,  repented  and  were  baptized,  for  the  re- 
mission of  their  sins  and  three  thousand  were 
added  to  them.  Infants  do  not  gladly  receive  the 
word.  The  church  like  a  little  stone  cut  out  of 
the  mountain-side,  without  hands  rolled  on  con- 
quering and  to  conquer  until  Rome,  proud  mis- 
tress of  the  world  was  subdued.  Within  350  years 
the  Roman  Eagle  was  replaced  by  the  cross,  yet 
the  Bible  met  with  bitter  opposition  all  along  the 
line  of  march,  no  fragments  of  an  army  ever  sur- 
vived so  many  battles,  no  citadel  ever  withstood  so 
many  sieges,  no  rock  was  ever  swept  by  so  many 


12 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


13 


storms,  or  battered  by  so  many  hurricanes  as  the 
Bible,  and  still  it  stands.  It  has  seen  Daniel's  four 
universal  empires  rise  and  fall.  A  few  years  ago 
while  the  writer  was  in  Washington  City,  he 
beheld  a  few  mutilated  figures,  that  adorn  our 
National  Museum,  all  that  remains  of  Assyria, 
once  the  golden  headed  universal  empire.  Media 
and  Persia  have  long  since  been  weighed  in  the 
balance,  and  found  wanting.  Greece  only  sur- 
vived in  her  historic  period;  it  is  living  Greece  no 
more.  And  the  iron  Rome  of  the  Csesars  is  held 
by  a  feeble  hand. 

But  the  book  that  foretells  all  this  still  survives, 
while  poets  and  orators,  statesmen  and  philos- 
ophers, kingdoms  and  empires  have  all  gone  van- 
ishing through  the  things  that  were  and  remain 
only  to  point  a  moral  or  adorn  a  tale.  The  Bible 
is  still  read,  debated,  and  sifted,  by  the  wisest 
men  living.  It  occupies  the  highest  niche  in  the 
temple  of  fame,  it  is  more  vehemently  assailed, 
more  devotedly  loved,  more  traduced,  more  hon- 
ored and  revered,  more  printed  and  freely  given  to 
the  world,  than  any  book  the  world  has  ever  seen. 
In  the  midst  of  change,  it  remains  unchanged. 
It  sees  all  things  decaying  yet  it  remains  incor- 


I) 


ruptible.  It  has  seen  myriads  of  books  engulfed 
in  the  stream  of  time  while  it  floats  triumphantly 
on,  and  will  continue  thus  to  float  until  the  mystic 
angel  with  one  foot  on  the  land  and  the  other  on 
the  sea  shall  declare  by  Him  that  liveth  forever 
and  ever  that  time  shall  be  no  more.  It  is  the 
only  bridge  that  spans  the  river  that  flows  be- 
tween time  and  eternity,  between  temporal  and 
eternal  life.  It  is  the  only  guide  that  safely  con- 
ducts Christians  to  the  haven  of  unending  bliss, 
where  we  will  sit  down  w^ith  Abraham,  Isaac  and 
Jacob,  and  talk  for  a  thousand  years  of  the  won- 
derful love  of  the  Son  of  God;  and  in  the  full 
enjoyment  of  the  society  of  all  the  redeemed 
spirits  that  burn  around  the  throne  of  the  majesty 
in  the  heavens. 

It  was  at  the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era  that 
monuments  were  erected  to  forever  commemorate 
the  gospel  i.  e.,  "  the  death,  the  burial,  and  the 
resurrection  of  Jesus."  1  Cor.  xv :  3.  These  mon- 
uments erected  by  divine  authority,  have  been 
continuously  observed  to  the  present  and  they  will 
continue  to  be  observed  until  time  shall  be  no 
more.  They  thus  establish  the  gospel  facts.  If  we 
have  celebrated  the  4th  of  July  continuously  since 


14 


KEMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


1776  to  rejoice  over  the  signing  of  tlie  Declaration  of 
Independence,  it  is  conclusive  evidence  that  it  was 
signed  at  that  time,  otherwise  the  American  peo- 
ple have  been  so  stupid  as  to  spend  their  time  and 
money  in  celebrating  an  event  that  they  must 
have  known  never  occurred.  It  would  be  in  vio- 
lation of  all  the  rules  of  reason  and  common  sense 
to  imagine  a  shadow  without  a  substance.  To 
commemorate  Christ's  death,  he  instituted  the  sup- 
per. "  And  he  took  bread  and  gave  thanks,  and 
brake  it,  and  gave  unto  them,  saying,  This  is  my 
body  which  is  broken  for  you;  this  do  in  remem- 
brance of  me.  Likewise,  also  the  cup  after  sup- 
per, saying.  This  cup  is  the  New  Testament  in  my 
blood,  which  is  shed  for  you."  This  institution 
which  has  been  observed  by  Christ's  followers 
every  Lord's  day  since  his  death,  keeps  before  the 
world  the  fact  that  "  Christ  was  buried,"  the  mon- 
ument to  commemorate  Christ's  resurrection,  was 
the  most  difficult  to  introduce  among  the  Jewish 
converts.  For  many  centuries  the  Jews  had 
observed  the  seventh  day.  God  had  not  only 
commanded  its  observance,  but  had  also  incorpo- 
rated its  observance  in  the  decalogue.  To  intro- 
duce the  observance  of  a  new  day  was  not  so  diffi- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


15 


cult,  as  it  was  to  abolish  the  observance  of  one 
that  had  been  sanctified  by  God  himself.  But 
Christ  had  arisen  on  the  first  day  of  the  week,  and 
redemption  was  greater  than  creation,  and  the 
first  day  must  be  substituted  for  the  seventh  as  a 
third  monument,  it  establishing  the  resurrection. 
Nine  of  the  ten  commandments  had  been  trans- 
ferred from  the  Old  to  the  New  Testament.  The 
fourth  ''Remember  the  sabbath  day  to  keep  it 
holy,"  has  been  omitted.  Christ  said  that  he  was 
Lord  of  the  sabbath.  From  Christ's  resurrection 
until  the  present,  the  first  day  of  the  week  has 
been  set  apart  for  the  followers  of  Christ  to  meet 
and  celebrate  his  death  by  that  other  monument 
called  the  supper,  at  which  the  loaf  is  broken  to 
commemorate  the  giving  of  Christ's  body. 

To  suppose  thousands  of  intelligent  men  and 
women  who  lived  at  the  time,  would  substitute 
the  observance  of  the  first  day  of  the  week,  in 
place  of  the  seventh,  to  commemorate  an  event 
that  never  occurred  is  sheer  nonsense.  To  show 
that  the  first  day  of  the  week  has  been  continu- 
ously observed  by  Christians  instead  of  the  sev- 
enth day,  let  me  quote  from  two  or  three  early 
authors,  whose  writings  have  come  down  to  us. 


16 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    REFORMATION. 


17 


Barnabas  mentioned  in  the  Xew  Testament  as  a 
companion  ot  Paul,  (we  have  his  writings)  A.  D. 
72  saying, "  We  celebrate  the  eighth  day  on  which 
Jesus  arose  from  the  dead."  A.  D.  107  Pliny, 
a  Roman  historian  says,  "  The  Christians  meet  on 
a  stated  day  to  partake  of  a  meal  and  sing  a  hymn 
to  Christ  as  God."  A.  D.  145  Justin  Martyr  says, 
"  On  the  Lord's  day,  which  is  the  day  after  Satur- 
day, all  Christians  meet  together."  A.  D.  180, 
Iren^us,  "On  the  Lord's  day  every  Christian 
keeps  the  sabbath." 

The  early  Christians  were  not  imposed  upon; 
they  were  not  fools.  For  beauty  of  style  and 
strength  of  argument,  Paul's  epistle  to  the  Ro- 
mans has  stood  unrivaled  for  eighteen  hundred 
years.  And  all  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament 
would  compare  favorably  with  the  ablest  writers  of 
the  present  day.  If  these  three  monuments  did 
not  begin  at  the  death  and  resurrection  of  our 
Lord  when  did  they  begin  ?  and  where  ? 

If  the  Bible  is  a  lie,  falsehood  is  better  than 
truth,  for  it  has  done  more  good  than  all  the  truth 
that  has  ever  been  uttered.  If  so,  there  is  no 
object  in  creation,  the  earth  turns  around  once 
every  twenty-four  hours,  and  passes  around   the 


i 


I 
I 
.s 


sun  in  every  three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days. 
Day  succeeds  day,  and  year  succeeds  year.     The 
vegetable   kingdom    flourishes  and  dies:  the  ani- 
mals live  on  the  vegetables,  and  they  die.     Man 
lives  on  the  vegetable  and  animal  kingdoms  and  he 
dies.     One  generation  succeeds  another,  and  noth- 
ing is  gained  by  the  entire  process,  and  the  earth 
and  all  it  contains  was  made  without  an  object  or 
wisdom  in  its  formation,  for  if  the  Bible  be  not 
true  God  has  not   spoken   to   man   and   he  who 
formed  the  eye  cannot  see,  and  he  who  formed  the 
ear  cannot  hear,  and   he   who   formed  the   brain 
cannot  reason,  else  he  would  not  have  placed  in 
man  a    desire  to   know  the    beyond    and    never 
answered  the  desire.     I  see  the  filthy  worm  crawl- 
ing on  the  ground  with  a  golden  spot  on  either 
side,  but   the   spots  are  turning  to   wings ;  reason 
teaches  me  that  it  is  destined  to  soar  in  a  higher 
atmosphere. 

I  see  the  babe,  it  has  a  tongue  and  feet,  it  can 
neither  talk  nor  walk.  I  come  again;  it  is  now  a 
boy  fleet  of  foot,  and  chatters  like  a  magpie.  But 
is  there  not  a  w^ant  of  wisdom  in  giving  him  that 
brain  to  solve  the  most  abstruse  mathematical  ques- 
tions?     He  cannot  use  it,  but  come  back  again 


18 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


19 


when  the  boy  has  become  the  philosopher  and  is  in 
the  zenith  of  manhood,  his  hands  and  arms,  feet 
and  legs  seem  almost  to  have  run  out  into  thought; 
he  sees  the  apple  fall,  he  gives  us  the  attraction  of 
gravitation  by  which  the  various  worlds  are  made 
to  revolve  in  their  respective  orbits.  He  gives  the 
mariner  magnetic  attraction ;  by  it  he  has  an  unde- 
viating  guide  through  the  trackless  ocean.  He 
brings  the  lightning  from  the  heaven,  harnesses  it 
up  and  drives  it  single  reined  around  the  earth; 
his  voice  is  heard  and  recognized  a  thousand  miles 
away;  he  bottles  up  the  intonations  of  loved  ones 
for  their  children's  children.  And  yet  if  the  Bible 
is  not  true  there  is  a  sad  want  of  wisdom  in  his  in- 
formation ;  he  longs  to  see  beyond  the  narrow  tomb 
and  that  desire  placed  there  by  his  Creator  has 
never  been  answered.  The  wants  of  the  lower 
animals  are  all  supplied,  every  desire  is  answered. 
In  the  formation  of  man  is  the  only  failure.  God 
thinks  more  of  mere  animals  than  he  does  of  men. 
And  then,  too,  there  is  no  evidence  in  martyrdom 
if  the  Bible  be  not  true.  The  early  Christians  were 
martyred  for  a  fact:  they  said  they  saw  Jesus  be- 
fore and  after  his  resurrection,  that  they  heard  him 
talk  and  handled  him  for  forty  days  after  his  resur- 


II 


i 


rection  and  saw  him  ascend,  that  they  could  not  be 
mistaken;  for  this  they  were  put  to  death.  Now 
martyrdom  does  not  prove  an  opinion  but  it  does 
prove  a  fact,  if  our  senses  are  not  to  be  credited, 
there  is  nothing  that  is  reliable  in  this  world. 
They  knew  whether  they  had  seen,  heard,  and 
handled  Jesus,  and  if  they  knew  they  were  telling 
a  falsehood  they  were  fools,  for  being  martyred 
when  they  could  have  saved  their  lives.  Again, 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  after  Christ's 
resurrection  there  were  then  living  more  than  two 
hundred  and  fifty  persons,  who  had  been  with  him 
after  his  resurrection. 

The  courage  and  patience,  those  early  Christians 
exhibited  when  tortured  were  surely  supernatural. 
Look  at  that  delicate  girl,  chained  in  the  burnino- 
iron  chair  at  Lyons,  or  the  boy  chained  on  the 
grate  over  burning  coals  continuing  to  rejoice  while 
enduring  such  extreme  torture,  and  submitting  to  a 
slow  and  tedious  death  rather  than  be  released  by 
denying  the  Lord,  when  it  could  have  been  done 
by  a  mental  reservation  is  proof  that  nothing  but 
the  Spirit  of  the  living  God  could  have  given  sup- 
port, tor  poor,  weak,  human  nature  could  not,  un- 
aided by    divine    power   endure     such     extreme 


20 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


torment.  These  persons  would  exult  with  joy, 
(we  are  informed  by  Antonius,  a  Roman  his- 
torian who  wrote  in  the  year  161)  while  seemingly 
enduring  such  extreme  suffering. 

Let   us  tor  a  moment  glance  at  the  history  of 
the  church.     We  have  the  writings  of  Barnabas 
the   companion    of  Paul.      Polycarp,    bishop    of 
Smyrna,  Ignatius,   bishop  of  Antioch,  A.  ]).  75; 
Papias,   Clement  bishop  of  Rome,  mentioned   in 
Phil,  iv  :  3,  and  Hermes  mentioned  in  Romans  xvi : 
14;  these  w^ere  all  well  acquainted  with  some  of  the 
apostles.     All  of  these  lived  during  the  days  of  the 
apostles  and  we  have  their  writings  in  which  they 
quote  from  the  scriptures  and  refer  to  them  as  gen- 
erally known  and  the  facts  admitted.     We  have 
not  only  Christian  but  also  Iniidel  history  dating 
back  to  the  days  of  the  apostles,  that  substantiates 
many  of  the  facts  related  in  the  New  Testament. 

Suetonius,  a  Roman  historian  lived  A.  D.  80. 
In  his  life  of  the  Emperor  Claudius  who  reigned 
from  the  years  41  to  54,  he  says,  "  Claudius  ban- 
ished the  Jews  from  Rome,  Christus  being  their 
leader. "  In  Acts  xviii :  2  this  is  referred  to.  In  his 
life  of  Nero  who  was  Emperor  from  54  to  68,  Sue- 
tonius says,  "  The  Christians  were  punished  with 


h 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION.  2] 

death,  a  sort  of  people  addicted  to  a  new  and  mis- 
chievous superstition. " 

Tacitus  lived  A.  D.  63.     In  his  life  of  the  Em- 
peror Nero  in  giving  an  account  of  the  great  fire  at 
Rome,  A.  D.  64,  he  says :  '^  To  suppress  the  common 
rumor  that  the  Emperor  had  set  fire  to  the  city, 
Nero  procured  the  Christians  to  be  accused,  and 
inflicted  exquisite  punishment  upon  them;  they  de- 
rived their  name  from  Christus  who  in  the  reign  of 
Tiberius  was  put  to  death  as  a  criminal  by  Pontiua 
Pilate.       This    pernicious     superstition,     though 
checked  for  a  while  broke  out  again,  and  spread 
not  only  over  Judea  the  source  of  this  evil,  but 
reached  the  city  also  whither  flow  all  the  things 
vile  and  shameful  and  where  they  find  shelter.     At 
first  they  were  only   apprehended  who  confessed 
themselves  of  that  sect,  afterward  a  vast  number 
discovered  by  them,  all  which  were  condemned  not 
so  much  for  their  burning  the  city,  as  for  their 
enmity  toward  mankind.     Their  executions  were 
so  contrived  as  to  expose  them  to  derision  and  con- 
tempt.     Some  were  covered  with  the  skins  of  wild 
beasts   and  torn   to  pieces  by  dogs.      Some  were 
crucified,    others  having  been  covered  over    with 
combustible  materials,  were  set  up  as  lights  in  the 


'} 


22 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


night  time  and  thus  burnt  to  death. "  During  this 
persecution  it  is  said  the  apostle  Paul  was  beheaded 
at  Eome. 

Doniitian  was  Emperor  from  81  to  96,  under  his 
reign  a  bloody  persecution  prevailed,  under  this 
persecution  the  beloved  apostle  John  was  banished 
to  the  isle  of  Patraos. 

Pliny,  a  Roman  historian  lived  A.  D.  62.     He 
was   appointed  governor  of  Bithynia,  A.  D.  100; 
he  wrote  to  the  Emperor  Trajan, "  It  is  my  custom, 
sir,  to  refer  myself  to  you  in  all  matters  concerning 
which  I  have  any  doubt.     For  who  can  better  di- 
rect me  where  I  hesitate,  or  instruct  me  where  I 
am  ignorant.     I  have  never  been  present  at  any 
trial  of  Christians.     So  I  know  not  well  what  is 
the  subject  matter  of  punishment  or  of  inquiry,  or 
what  strictures  ought  to  be  used  in  either.     Nor 
have  I  been  little  perplexed  to  determine  whether 
any  difference  ought  to  be  made  upon  account  of 
age,   or  whether  the  young  and  tender  and  full 
grown  and  robust  ought  to  be  treated  all  alike. 
Whether  repentance  should  entitle  to  pardon  or 
whether  all  who  have  ever  been  Christians  ought 
to  be  punished  though  now  they  are  no  longer  so. 
Whether  the  name  itself,  although  no  crime  be  de- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


23 


^ 


tected,  or  crimes  only  belonging  to  the  name  ought 
to  be  punished;  concerning  all  these  things  I  am  in 
doubt.  In  the  meantime,  I  have  taken  this  course 
with  all  who  have  been  brought  before  me, 
and  have  been  accused  as  Christians.  I  have  put 
the  question  to  them  whether  they  were  Christians, 
and  upon  their  confessing  to  me  that  they  were,  I 
repeated  the  question  a  second  and  a  third  time, 
threatening  to  punish  them  with  death.  Such  as 
still  persisted,  I  ordered  away  to  be  punished,  for 
it  was  no  doubt  with  me,  whatever  might  be  the 
nature  of  their  opinion,  that  obstinacy  ought  to  be 
punished.  In  a  short  time  the  crime  spreading 
itself  even  while  under  persecution,  as  usual  in  such 
cases,  divers  sorts  of  people  came  in  my  way.  They 
aflSrmed  that  the  whole  of  their  fault  or  error  lay 
in  this,  that  they  were  wont  to  meet  together  on  a 
stated  day,  before  it  was  light  and  sing  among 
themselves  alternately  a  hymn  to  Christ  as  God, 
and  bind  themselves  by  an  oath  not  to  the  com- 
mission of  any  wickedness,  and  not  to  be  guilty  of 
theft  or  robbery  or  adultery,  never  to  falsify  their 
word,  nor  to  deny  a  pledge  committed  to  them, 
when  called  upon  to  return  it ;  when  these  things 
were  performed  it  was  their  custom  to  separate  and 


24 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   REFORMATION. 


25 


then  to  come  together  again  to  a  meal,  which  they 
ate  in  common  without  any  disorder.  I  examined 
by  torture  two  maid  servants  called  ministers  but 
have  discovered  nothing  besides  a  bad  and  ex- 
cessive superstition.  Suspending,  therefore,  all  ju- 
dicial proceedings  I  have  recourse  to  you  for  advice, 
for  it  has  appeared  unto  me  a  matter  deserving 
consideration,  especially  upon  account  of  the  great 
number  of  persons  who  are  in  danger  of  suifering, 
for  many  of  all  ages  and  every  rank  of  both  sexes 
likewise  are  accused  and  will  be  accused.  Nor  has 
the  contagion  of  this  superstition  seized  cities  only 
but  the  lesser  towns." 

Trajan's  reply:  "You  have  taken  the  right 
method,  my  Pliny,  in  your  proceedings  with  those 
who  have  been  brought  before  you  as  Christians, 
for  it  is  impossible  to  establish  any  rule  that  shall 
hold  universally.  They  are  not  to  be  sought  for. 
If  any  are  brought  before  you,  and  are  convicted, 
they  ought  to  be  punished.  However,  he  that  de- 
nies his  being  a  Christian  and  makes  it  evident  in 
fact;  that  is  by  supplicating  to  our  gods,  let  him 
be  pardoned.  But  in  no  case  of  any  crime  what- 
ever, may  a  bill  of  information  be  received  without 
being  signed  by  him   who   presents  it;  for  that 


i' 


I 


would  be  a  dangerous  precedent  and  unworthy  my 
government." 

A.  D.  141,  Antonius  was  Emperor  of  Rome; 
Justin  Martyr  at  this  time  presented  to  the  Em- 
j)eror  his  lirst  apology.  In  it  he  says,  "  On  the 
day  called  Sunday  we  all  meet  together,  on  which 
day  Jesus  Christ  our  Savior  rose  from  the  dead; 
on  the  day  before  Saturday  he  was  crucified,  and 
on  the  day  after  Saturday,  which  is  Sunday,  he  ap- 
peared to  his  apostles  and  disciples  and  taught  them 
these  things  which  we  have  set  before  you.  Do 
not  appoint  capital  punishment  to  those  who  have 
done  no  harm."     But  the  persecution  still  raged. 

A.  D.  161,  Marcus  Antonius  the  philosopher  suc- 
ceeded Antonius  Pius  as  Emperor.  There  is  a 
book  written  by  him  called  his  Meditations  in  the 
eleventh  book  of  which  he  says:  "  What  a  soul  is 
that  which  is  prepared  even  now  presently,  if 
needful,  to  be  extinguished,  or  be  dispersed,  or  to 
subsist  still.  But  this  readiness  must  proceed 
from  a  well  weighed  judgment,  not  from  mere 
obstmacy  like  the  Christians.  And  it  should  be 
done  considerately  and  with  gravity  without  trag- 
ical exclamations  as  to  persuade  another."  Justin 
was  beheaded  in  Rome  A.  D.  165. 


26 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


A.  D.  263,  Porphyry  says,  "  Since  Jesus  has  been 
honored,  none  have  received  any  public  benefit 
from  the  gods. " 

A.  D.  303,  Hierocles  says:  "  The  Christians  call 
tiesus  God  because  he  performed  a  few  miracles." 
During  these  days  the  civil  government  persecuted 
the  Christians  to  death. 

A.  D.  361,  Julian  the  Emperor  of  Rome  had 
made  a  profession  of  Christianity,  whether  real  or 
feigned,  it  proves  that  Christianity  had  triumphed 
over  all  religions,  another  proof  that  the  fittest 
or  best  will  always  survive.  On  the  Roman  flag 
the  eagle  was  replaced  by  the  cross.  The  devil 
however  had  failed  to  learn  that  the  blood  of  the 
martyr  was  the  seed  of  the  church,  and  he  made 
use  of  the  church  of  Rome  ;  and  Christian  Rome, 
instead  of  pagan  Rome  was  then  and  there  insti- 
tuted to  destroy  primitive  Christianity.  And 
although  our  Lord  taught  his  followers  to  return 
good  for  evil,  and  non-resistance  was  practiced  by 
the  first  Christians,  it  is  strange  how  soon  the 
devil  got  possession  of  the  church.  From  the 
dawn  of  Christianity  until  the  eighteenth  century, 
persecution  seemed  to  be  the  order  of  the  day,  and 
from  the  fourth  century  persecution  was  carried 


f 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


27 


% 


on  by  the  church.  Our  Pilgrim  fathers  fled  from 
Old  to  New  England  that  they  might  enjoy  relig- 
ious liberty,  and  in  1636  they  banished  Roger  Wil- 
liams on  account  of  his  religious  oj)inions,  and  in 
1737  John  Wesley  was  imprisoned  while  on  a 
preaching  tour  to  Georgia  on  account  of  his  not 
being  orthodox.  These  things  have  not  been 
caused  by  religion,  but  by  the  want  of  it.  You 
could  as  well  hold  a  bank  responsible  for  the 
counterfeits  made  upon  it,  as  Christ  and  the  apos- 
tles taught  the  opposite  of  persecution.  After 
Julian  had  become  Emperor  in  361,  machinery  to 
inflict  the  most  exquisite  torture  was  invented, 
and  the  meek  and  lowly  followers  of  Jesus  were 
tortured  to  death,  or  driven  into  the  inaccessible 
mountains  of  Italy,  or  into  the  deep  valleys  of 
Piedmont.  But  God  has  always  had  seven  thou- 
sand, who  never  bowed  the  knee  to  Baal.  This 
blood  persecution  by  the  Roman  church  with  but 
little  intermission  was  continued  down  to  the  pres- 
ent century.  In  1503  the  Syrian  Christian 
preachers  from  the  south  of  India  were  ordered  by 
the  Roman  church  to  appear  before  the  inquisition 
at  Goa,  to  answer  the  following  charges.  1.  You 
have  married  wives.     2.  You  own  but  two  sacra- 


28 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ments,  baptism  and  the  Lord's  supper.  3.  You 
neither  invoke  saints,  nor  worship  images,  nor 
believe  in  purgatory.  4.  You  have  no  other 
orders,  or  names  of  distinction  or  dignity,  in  the 
church,  but  bishop,  priest,  and  deacon."  One 
hundred  and  fifty  preachers  attended.  Their 
books  were  burned,  and  they  were  told  that  they 
were  under  tlie  jurisdiction  of  the  Roman  church, 
and  to  abjure  their  doctrine.  They  answered, 
"  We  are  from  a  place  where  the  followers  of 
Christ  were  first  called  Christians."  These  Hin- 
doo Christians  had  for  thirteen  hundred  years  en- 
joyed a  succession  of  l)ishops  appointed  by  the 
patriarchs  of  Antioch.  They  were  driven  into  the 
valleys  of  Piedmont  or  butchered. 

It  is  true  Martin  Luther  dealt  giant  blows 
against  the  corruptions  of  the  Roman  church. 
The  abuses  he  saw,  and  reading  the  writings  of 
Huss,  produced  a  change  in  his  opinions,  in  1527. 
These  opinions  were  roused  into  action,  by  an  in- 
sult offered  to  his  order,  by  the  sale  of  papal  indul- 
gences. Luther  published  a  denial  of  this  papal 
right  to  grant  these  indulgences.  The  Pope  ex- 
communicated him,  and  he  in  turn  condemned  the 
Pope,  in  1540.     Six  years  before  Luther's  death  he 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


29 


i 


f'l 


If' 


enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  seeing  the  Lutheran 
church  organized  at  Wittemburg;  a  great  im- 
provement on  the  Roman  church.  Luther  struck 
idol  worship  some  heavy  blows;  and  like  old  Israel 
Putnam  he  bearded  the  wolf  in  his  den.  Luther 
was  as  brave  as  a  lion. 

The  gospel  does  not  change  a  man's  tempera- 
ment, but  only  directs  it  into  a  good  channe" 
While  the  beloved  disciple  and  apostle  John  with 
his  timid  and  child-like  disposition,  when  he  met 
the  Lord  on  the  Isle  of  Patmos,  fell  at  his  feet  as 
dead.  While  Saul  of  Tarsus  when  he  met  the 
Lord  on  the  road  to  Damascus  said  ''  Who  art 
thou  Lord,"  and  when  the  high  priest  ordered  him 
to  be  smitten,  he  turned  like  a  lion  and  said  "  God 
will  smite  thee,  thou  wdiited  sepulchre."  The 
spirit  of  Paul  appeared  in  Luther,  while  the  lamb- 
like disposition  of  the  beloved  apostle  John  de- 
scended upon  the  beloved  Melancthon,  or  as  Lu- 
ther called  him  "  My  dear  Philip,"  who  when  he 
was  reviled,  reviled  not  again,  when  he  suffered,  he 
threatened  not,  but  committed  himself  to  him  that 
judgeth  righteously;  guile  was  not  found  in  his 
mouth. 

Such  characters  are  not  selected  by  infidels  when 


30 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


tliey  hold  up  a  specimen  of  Christiainty,  but  the 
blackest  sheep  in  the  flock,  this  parasite  gnawing 
at  the  vitals  of  Christianity  is  held  up  as  a  good 
sample.  Counterfeiters  are  a  greater  hindrance 
to  the  progress  of  Christianity  than  persecution 
and  infidelity  combined.  She  can  truly  say  deliver 
me  from  my  friends.  I  can  take  care  of  my  ene- 
mies. 

It  required  two  such  diverse  dispositions  as  the 
lion-like  Luther  and  the  lamb-like  Melancthon  to 
successfully  carry  on  the  retormation  of  1540.  Ten 
years  later  John  Calvin,  in  1550,  organized  the 
Presbyterian  church  at  Geneva.  In  1G36  Eoger 
Williams  organized  the  Baptist  church  at  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island,  and  one  hundred  years  later 
in  1737  John  Wesley  organized  a  church,  on  a  new 
method,  ot  classes,  called  the  Methodist  church. 
These  have  all  long  since  divided  and  sub-divided 
into  many  parties,  with  their  various  rules  to 
govern  them,  and  frequently  the  cause  of  division 
has  been  very  small;  take  for  a  samx->le,  the  only 
reasons  given  fbr  the  first  division  of  the  Lutheran 
church — only  two  reasons  were  given:  1.  "We 
wish  in  church  singing  to  use  the  second,  in  place 
of  the  first  edition  of  David's  Psalms."      2.  "We 


•  ••t 


I 

t 


I 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


31 


wish  in  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer,  to  have  it  our 
Father  who  art  in  heaven,  instead  of  "Father  our 
who  art  in  heaven.  "     I  presume  they  might  have 
come  together  again,  had  not  the  ofl-shoot  assumed 
another   name,    i.  e.  "German  Eeform."      Since 
those  days,  the  persons  who  have  gotten  up  creeds, 
and  started  churches  and  attempted  to  make  im- 
provements, their  name  is  legion.     The  adversary 
seems  to  have  concluded  that  the  surest  way  to  de- 
stroy Christianity  was  to  divide  their  forces,  pro- 
duce  rivalry   and    enmity  among  them.      As  the 
Author  of  Christianity  prayed  that  his  followers 
might  remain  united,  that  the  world  might  be  con- 
verted,  the   evil  one  wished  that  they  might   be 
divided  that  the  world   might  not  be  converted. 
And  as  Jesus  said  that  he  would  build  his  church 
on  the  confession  "  Thou  art  the  Christ  the  Son  of 
the  living  God"  and  as  the  church  had  stood  on 
that  foundation  for  300  years,  to  divide  it,  creeds 
must  be  formed,  and  men's  names  substituted  for 
Christ's,  and  given  to  the  church,  and  men  forced 
to  subscribe  to  human  creeds,  or  be  tortured  to 
death.     Men  had  to  be  of  the  same  length,  if  too 
short,  they  were   stretched   out,  if  too  long  they 
were  cut  ofi*.     They  must   subscribe   to   a   set  of 


32 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


opiiiious  that  were  not  understood  by  their  au- 
thors, and  to  glorify  men  their  names  must  be 
tacked  on  with  Christ's,  and  actually  put  before 
the  name  of  the  Son  of  God,  as  Baptist  Christian 
church,  Lutheran  Christian  church,  Calvin  Chris- 
tian church,  Wesleyan  Christian  church,  and  so 
on  ad  infinitain. 


11 


CHAPTER  n. 


REMINISCENCES    OF     THE    REFORMATION    OF    THE     NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

rilE  apostle  Peter,  in  the  year  34,  in  the  city  of 
Jerusalem,  on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  unlocked 
and  tlirew  wide  open  the  door  to  the  Christian 
church,  and  from  that  day  to  the  present,  the  door 
has  never  been  closed.  For  four  thousand  years, 
God  had  been  leading  man  up  to  this  unequaled 
and  transcendent  display  of  divine  love.  If  I 
wished  to  express  a  marked  difference  between  our 
lieavenly  Father  and  man,  by  using  only  two 
words  they  would  be  premeditation  and  precipita- 
tion. God  is  deliberate,  man  is  hast3^  God  sees 
the  end  from  the  beginning.  Man  is  short  sighted 
and  cannot  see  afar  off.  God  seems  to  work  on 
the  development  plan.  The  mineral  kingdom  was 
first  formed,  then  the  vegetable,  afterwards  the 
animal,  and  in  process  of  time  man  was  created. 
A  regular  development  marks  the  line  from  the 
mineral  kingdom  to  man.     And  the  strata  are  as 

regular  one  above  another  as  the    letters  in  the 
3  (33) 


t! 


r 


if! 


34 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


alphabet.     More  than  forty  years  ago  I  remained 
over  night  with  Elias  Stone,  wlio  resided  in  Fay- 
ette county,  Indiana.     He    told  me  that  he  had 
found  stone  coal  on  the  surface,  and  thought  there 
might  be  a  stratum  of  it  on,  or  near  his  land.     I 
told  him  it  was  not  possible,  that  he  lived  in  the 
Silurian  stratum,  near  the  line  between  the  blue 
and  clitf  limestone,  that  the  coal  was  found  2,000 
feet  above,  and  had  been  washed  away.     That  the 
strata  were  known  by  the  fossils  they  contained, 
spirifers,  trilobites,  and  other  fossils  found  in  the 
Silurian  were  always  found  below  the  coal.  If  a  man 
unacquainted  with  our  language  should  pick  up  a 
part  of    the    English  alphabet,  where  the  letters 
were  in  their  regular  order  and  D  was  at  the  top, 
you   could  tell  him  that  it  was   useless   to   look 
down  the  line  for  A  as  that  was  above  and  had 
been  torn  off,  and  also  B  and  C.     That  God  puts 
his  sio-net  on  all  his  works.     He  has  placed  lead  in 
Lias,  silver  in  Silurian,  and  gold  in  the  Diluvial 
stratum,  and  the  strata  are  know  by  their  fossils. 
God  gave  man  the  earth  and  a  brain  to  govern 
it,  be  endowed  him  with  a  free  will.     The  devil  by 
strategy  took  possession  of  man  and  with  him  the 
earth.     To  induce  man  to  return,  it  became  neces- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


35 


sary  to  attract  him  by  love  and  nothing  less  was 
sufficient,  than   that  greatest   exhibition  of  it  in 
giving  his  only  Son  to  die.     As  love  begets  love, 
if  this  fails  to  awaken  love  in   man   and    attract 
him    back,   there    is   but  little   hope.     Now   the 
church   must  be  formed,  and   man   must  be  edu- 
cated  that  he  may  be  prepared  for  the  scheme  of 
redemption.     God  works  by  the  development  pro- 
cess.    A  child  learns  the  alphabet  before  he  learns 
trigonometry.     The    patriarchal  dispensation  was 
organized,  and   when   man    was   sufficiently    ad- 
vanced the  Mosaic  dispensation  was  instituted  and 
the  law  given  from  Sinai.    In  process  of  time  wis- 
dom, science,  and  philosophy  were   found  insuffi- 
cient, and  then  the  Jewish  dispensation  was  con- 
fined to  one  nation,  and  was  only  temporary,  as  it 
could  not  save  one  soul.     It  was  seen  that  the  en- 
tire human  family  would  be    forever  lost  unless 
something  better  was  inaugurated,  that  somethino- 
must  be  done  for  the  entire  family  of  man,  not 
only  to  fit  him  for  time,  but  likewise  to  prepare 
him  for  eternity.    Do  you  ask  if  the  patriarchal 
and  Jewish  dispensations  were  imperfect,  I  answer, 
no,  no  more  than  a  child's  alphabet  is  imperfect; 
they  were  only  intended  for  the  preparatory  depart- 


36 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


ynent.     There    is    one    glory    of   the    stars,   and 
another  of  the  moon,  and  a  third  of  the  sun.     The 
church  of  Christ  was  perfect  when   formed,  hut 
man  failed  to  comply  with  the  perfect  law  of  lib- 
erty and  for  fifteen  hundred  years  oscillated  from 
the     true    meridian.      But    for    the     past    three 
hundred  years  he  has  been  oscillating  back  to  the 
meridian  ;  and  the  development  theory  has  been 
slowly  but  surely    going   on  ;  with  man,  but  not 
with  the  word,  for  it   is  divine,  therefore  perfect. 
Luther  strides  up  the  ladder  of  imi)rovement,  and 
ten  years  later,  John  Calvin  followed.     He  was  one 
of  the  most  devoted,  earnest  and  learned  men  of 
his  day.     One  hundred  years  later  Roger  Williams, 
the    great   reformer  of  the   seventeenth    century 
appeared  upon  the  stage,  and  one  hundred  years 
after    Williams,   John   Wesley  the  indefatigable 
worker    shook   England   with   his    eloquence    ae 
though  shocked  by  some  heavily  charged  battery ; 
he  was  the  great  reformer  of  the  eighteenth  century. 
These   reformers  all  displayed  great  zeal  for  the 
church  and  were  a  power  in  the  forum.     But  it 
was  not  until  the  nineteenth  century,  that  man 
learned  that  true  wisdom  was  to  know  nothing  but 
Christ  and  him  crucified,  and  to  throw  aside  all  re- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


37 


forms  and  take  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone 
without  note  or  comment.  The  reformation  fjr 
three  hundred  years  had  been  leading  to  this. 
God's  finger  was  in  it,  it  was  reached  by  the  de- 
velopment process,  the  fittest  always  survives  and 
in  1804  they  were  back  at  Pentecost  learning  of 
Peter.  The  change  like  the  rose  from  the  bud, 
was  imperceptible.  It  was  fit  that  the  Presby- 
terians were  the  first  to  raise  the  standard,  their 
motto  was,  "the  Bible  without  note  or  comment." 
The  Christian  world  was  waiting  for  some  grand 
development.  "  Coming  events  cast  their  shadows 
before  " — as  they  did  eighteen  hundred  years  ago 
when  the  angels  informed  the  shepherds  of  the  birth 
of  Jesus,  Jew  and  Gentile  were  looking  for  some 
wonderful  event.  Just  before  that  occurrence  a 
Gentile  poet  living  fifteen  hundred  miles  away 
wrote: 

"  A  hoh^  progeny  from  heaven  descends. 
Auspicious  be  his  birth,  which  puts  an  end 
To  the  iron  age,  and  from  whence  shall  rise, 
A  golden  state  far  glorious  through  the  earth, 
By  thee  v/hat  footsteps  of  our  sins  remain 
Are  blotted  out,  and  the  whole  world  set  free. " 

It  was  then  in  the  spiritual  atmosphere.  The 
world  was  looking  anxiously  when  the  church  of 
Christ   was  born.     And   wlien  it   condemned   in 


i  i 


38 


1 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


69 


sdch  strong  language  the  lusts  and  sinful  practices 
of  men,  and  the  evil  disposition  of  the  human  heart, 
saying  that  "  covetousness  is  idolatry ;  that  he  that 
hatetli  his  brother  is  a  murderer,  that  no  murderer 
shall  inherit  eternal  life,  and  that  for  every  idle 
word  men  shall  give  an  account,  that  we  must 
bless  them  that  curse  us,  and  overcome  evil  with 
good,"  thus  censuring  what  the  natural  man  is  the 
most  unwilling  to  relinquish,  has  been  one  of  the 
chief  causes  of  the  church  meeting  with  such  viru- 
lent opposition.  The  morals  taught  in  the  New 
Testament  are  supernatural.  "Love  your  en- 
emies "  never  had  its  origin  with  man.  "  The  proud 
shall  be  brought  low,  and  the  humble  shall  be  ex- 
alted. " 

The  scriptures  have  for  their  author,  bad  men, 
good  men  or  God.  Not  wicked  men  I  am  confident ; 
it  is  not  in  the  nature  of  men  to  write  a  book  con- 
demning their  actions  and  assigning  themselves  to 
endless  torment  and  at  the  same  time  setting  forth 
the  best  code  of  morals  the  world  has  ever  seen, 
infidels  being  judges.  Good  men  were  not  the 
authors,  for  they  inform  us  that  God  is  the  author 
and  that  they  acted  merely  as  amanuenses,  and 
that  the  Holy  Spirit  spoke  through  them.     I  refer 


to  that  part  of  the  scriptures  that  professes  to  be 
the  word  of  inspiration.  The  Bible  is  composed  of 
the  Law,  the  Prophets,  and  the  Psalms.  Law,  His- 
tory and  Poetry.  If  good  men  had  been  the 
authors  of  all  they  indited,  they  would  gladly  have 
claimed  the  authorship.  It  then  remains  that  God 
must  be  the  author.  We  should  always  judge  a 
tree  by  its  fruit;  we  do  not  gather  figs  of  briers, 
nor  peaches  of  thorn  trees,  nor  walnuts  of 
buckeyes,  nor  does  a  bitter  fountain  send  forth 
sweet  water. 

A  want  of  faith  in  the  divine  authenticity  of  the 
scriptures  may  generally  be  traced  to  ignorance  of 
them.  Lord  Littleton  and  Gilbert  West  may  be 
taken  as  two  good  specimens.  They  were  dis- 
believers and  agreed  to  write  books  against  the 
Bible's  inspiration.  In  studying  the  scriptures  and 
the  history  bearing  on  that  subject,  they  became 
convinced  of  their  divine  authenticity,  and  Lord 
Littleton  wrote  to  show  that  Saul  of  Tarsus  was 
converted  as  recorded  in  the  Bible.  And  Gilbert 
West  wrote  a  book  to  prove  that  Jesus  ot  Nazareth 
arose  from  the  dead  according  to  the  scriptures.  I 
have  been  reading  their  arguments  with  much 
interest. 


40 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


The  Bible  is  the  only  book  that  pretends  to  see 
beyond  the  grave.  If  it  is  a  tietion,  all  beyond 
this  life  is  as  obscure  as  Egyptian  darkness;  but 
the  Bible  is  adapted  to  man;  this  proves  that  the 
author  of  the  one  is  the  author  of  the  other. 

When  we  see  sixty  books  written  by  forty  per- 
sons, in  different  languages,  and  through  a  period 
of  1620  years,  from  Job  to  John ;  and  in  after  years 
these  books  all  collected,  and  come  together  like 
the  material  in  Solomon's  temple,  forming  one 
grand  whole,  and  Christ's  resurrection  the  one 
hinge  to  all  the  books,  we  must  conclude  that  the 
writing  is  from  God.  All  the  books  written  prior  to 
the  resurrection,  point  forward  to  that  event  as  the 
most  wonderful  in  the  affairs  of  men,  and  all  the 
books  of  the  Bible  that  have  been  written  since  the 
resurrection  point  back  to  it  as  the  native  magnet 
to  the  human  family.  And  for  an  infidel  to  say  "  it 
just  happened  so"  is  a  specimen  of  credulity  that 
excels  them  all.  Wliy  will  the  disbeliever  choose 
the  hardest  part?  The  gospel  is  the  only  anchor, 
faith  the  only  cable,  that  can  keep  the  frail  barque 
of  human  life  from  being  wrecked. 

And  as  the  world  was  lookins:  for  some  fiTand 
event  at  the  dawn  of  the  Christian  era,  so  was  it 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


41 


ripe  for  some  great  religious  movement  at  the 
ushering  in  of  the  nineteenth  century.  Six  Pres- 
byterian preachers  were  struck  by  the  tidal  wave 
and  wafted  back  to  Pentecost  and  landed  at  Jeru- 
salem. Baptists  and  Methodists  fell  in  with  the 
movement;  and  the  world  had  not  seen  such  a  re- 
ligious upheaval  since  the  days  of  the  Pentecostal 
shower.  These  six  Presbyterian  preachers  started 
the  reformation  on  the  28tli  of  June,  1804,  and 
in  1890,  they  numbered  eight  hundred  and  fifty 
thousand.  In  1804  there  were  four  hundred  thou- 
sand Protestants  in  the  United  States,  not  counting 
infants.  If  they  had  increased  in  the  same  ratio, 
in  1890,  they  would  have  numbered  forty  times  the 
population  of  the  globe.  There  is  nothing  like  the 
simple  word  of  God  to  win  souls  to  Christ ;  then 
why  not  take  off  the  brakes  and  let  the  church 
march  triumphantly  on  without  hindrance?  On 
the  28th  of  June,  1804,  Barton  W.  Stone  and  five 
other  Presbyterian  preachers,  started  the  Chris- 
tian church  at  Cane  Ridge,  Ky. ;  at  that  time  the 
Baptists  were  very  numerous  in  that  State. 

About  fifty  years  ago  Alexander  Campbell  was 

preaching  in  Lexington,  Ky.  He  had  never  seen 
Mr.  Broadus,  one  of  the  leading  Baptists  in  that 


42 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


State.  He  occupied  a  front  seat  while  Campbell 
was  speaking.  He  and  Campbell  had  been  spar- 
ring through  the  papers.  Campbell  wanted  a  new 
translation  of  the  Bible ;  Broadus  "  wanted  it  to  be  a 
Baptist  translation,  for  he  was  a  Baptist  of  the  old 
Virginia  style."  Mr.  C.  began  by  saying  "Mr. 
Broadus  says  he  wishes  the  translation  to  be  a 
Baptist  translation,  that  he  is  a  Baptist  of  the  old 
Virginia  style."  What  then  will  become  of  the 
name  of  his  church  ?  for  he  says  he  desires  every 
w^ord  translated.  John  the  Baptist  would  be  trans- 
lated John  the  Dipper,  and  the  Baptist  church 
would  be  the  Dipper  churcli.  But  he  says  that  he 
is  a  Baptist  of  the  old  Virginia  style.  An  old 
Virginia  style  of  dipper  was  a  gourd;  hence  he 
would  be  a  gourd  of  the  old  Virginia  gourd  church." 
After  meeting,  Campbell  said  that  although  he  had 
never  seen  Broadus  he  recognized  him  by  his  ex- 
pression. It  was  so  very  unusual  for  Stone  or 
Campbell  to  attempt  wdt  in  the  pulpit — ^you  will 
excuse  tliis  dis^ression. 

When  the  reformation  began,  the  Baptists  made 
but  little  ettbrt  at  proselyting.  They  were  the 
bone  and  sinew  of  the  State,  having  moved  from 
Virginia,  Tennessee  and  the  Carolinas  at  an  early 


REMINISCENCES    O-F    THE    REFORMATION. 


43 


day,  and  were  extensive  land  owners.  They  allow- 
ed no  one  to  preach  until  he  was  examined  by  the 
association.  As  men  occasionally  felt  called  on  to 
preach,  who  possessed  no  other  requisite  but  zeal; 
amusing  instances  sometimes  occurred.  Brother 
Raccoon  John  Smith,  it  was  said,  convinced  an 
applicant  that  he  was  mistaken  in  the  call  by 
saying  to  the  brother :  "  If  I  show  you  by  the 
Bible  that  you  were  not  called,  will  you  withdraw^  ? " 
When  consent  was  given,  he  read  from  the  seventh 
verse  of  the  lii  of  Isaiah:  "How  beautiful 
upon  the  mountain  are  the  feet  of  him  that 
bringeth  good  tidings  of  good,  that  publisheth  sal- 
vation." "Now  according  to  this,  a  preacher 
must  have  beautiful  feet;  you  have  the  biggest, 
ugliest  feet  I  ever  saw."  I  was  informed  that  the 
brother  reluctantly  withdrew. 

Although  there  were  many  illiterate  preachers  in 
the  Baptist  church,  yet  they  had  some  of  the  ablest 
men  in  Kentucky;  among  them  w^ere  Broadus, 
Grundy,  John  T.  Johnson,  John  Smith  and  others. 
They  were  giants  with  the  sword  of  the  Spirit. 
But  as  a  class  the  Presbyterian  preachers  were 
from  the  East  and  better  educated,  and  in  eloquence 
were  an  over  match  for  the  Baptists  or  Methodists, 


44 


REMINISCEx\CES   AND    SERMONS. 


There  were  in  those  (hijs  more  Baptists  and  Pres- 
byterians in  Kentucky,  than  of  all  the  other  de- 
nominations  combined.      It    was    fortunate     the 
Presbyterians   began  the  reformation,  as  one  of 
the  most  exciting  and  mooted  questions  was  and  is, 
'*Is   anything  but    immersion    baptism?"      And 
although  the  reformers,  or  as  they  called  them- 
selves Christians,  required  the  Baptist  to  give  up 
his  name  for  that  of  Christian,  and  to  substitute 
the  Bible  alone  for  his  articles  of  faith ;  yet  o-reat 
numbers  of  them  united  with  the  Christians,  and 
in  1832  and  1833  they  came  over  in  great  numbers. 
In  1802,  Richard  McJ^emar,  an  able  and  eloquent 
preacher,  was  up  before  the  Presbytery  of  Ohio, 
for  preaching  contrary  to  the  Confession  of  Faith. 
His  case  was  removed  to  the  Synod  of  Lexington, 
Ky.     He  appealed  to  the  Bible,  but  he  was   told 
that  he  must  be  tried  by  the  Confession  of  Faith. 
There  were  present  at  the  trial,  Robert  Marshall, 
John  Thompson,  John  Dunlavy,  David  Purviancaj 
and  Barton  W.  Stone,  who,   knowing  that  they 
were  guilty  of  the  same  oftence  withdrew  from  the 
Presbyterian  church.     After  their  withdrawal,  the 
Synod  excluded  them.      These   men  then   be^an 
preaching  ''  God  loved  the  world,  and  gave  his  well 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


45 


beloved  Son  to  die,  that  whosoever  believeth  in  him 
might  not  perish,  but  have  everlasting  life.  That 
the  gospel  was  provided  for  every  man.  That  if 
sinners  were  lost,  it  was  their  own  fault,  and  not 
because  God  decreed  it,  but  because  they  would 
not  be  saved,  that  all  men  could  come.  "  Go 
preach  to  every  creature."  That  Jesus  Christ 
suffered  on  the  cross  for  all  men.  That  God 
would  not  tic  his  children  and  then  tell  them  to 
come."  This  had  a  good  effect  in  inducing  men 
to  believe,  as  they  had  been  taught  it  was  im- 
possible for  a  man  to  believe,  until  God  operated 
directly  on  his  heart.  Thompson,  Dunlavy  and 
Mcl!s*emar  lived  in  Ohio.  Marshall,  Purviance  and 
Stone  lived  in  Kentucky.  They  were  all  noted 
men  in  the  Presbyterian  church.  They  finally 
concluded  that  it  was  best  in  religious  matters  to 
only  use  Bible  language,  and  on  the  28th  of  June, 
1804,  they  met  at  Cane  Ridge  meeting  house,  in 
the  county  of  Bourbon,  Kentucky,  and  drew  up 
the  following  "Last  Will  and  Testament,  Etc." 

"  The  Presbytery  of  Springfield  sitting  at  Cane 
Ridge  in  the  county  of  Bourbon,  Ky.,  being 
through  a  gracious  providence  in  more  than  ordi- 
nary bodily  health,  growing  in  strength  and  size 


46 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


daily,  and  in  perfect  soundness  and  composure  of 
mind,  but  knowing  that  it  is  appointed  for  all 
delegated  bodies  once  to  die;  and  considering  that 
the  life  of  every  such  body  is  uncertain;  do  make 
and  ordain  this  our  last  will  and  testament  in 
manner  and  form  following,  viz : 

Item  1.  We  will  that  this  body  die,  be  dissolved 
and  sink  into  union  with  the  body  of  Christ  at 
large,  for  there  is  but  one  body,  and  one  Spirit 
even  as  we  are  called  in  one  hope  of  our  calling. 

Item  2.  We  will  that  our  name  of  distinction 
with  its  reverend  title  be  forgotten,  that  there  be 
but  one  Lord  over  God's  heritage;  and  his  name 

one. 

Item  3.  We  will  that  our  power  of  making  laws 
for  the  government  of  the  church,  and  executing 
them,  by  delegated  authority  forever  cease,  that 
the  people  may  have  free  course  to  the  Bible,  and 
adopt  the  law  of  the  Spirit  of  life  in  Christ  Jesus. 

Item  4.  We  will  that  candidates  for  the  gospel 
ministry  henceforth  study  the  holy  scriptures  with 
fervent  prayer,  obtain  license  from  God  to  preach 
the  simple  gospel  with  the  Holy  Ghost  sent  down 
from  heaven,  without  any  mixture  of  philosophy, 
vain  deceit,  traditions  of  men,  or  the  rudiments  of 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


47 


the  world.  And  let  none  henceforth  take  this 
honor  to  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of  God  as 
was  Aaron. 

Item  5.  We  will  that  the  church  of  Christ  re- 
sume her  native  rights  of  internal  government, 
try  her  candidates  for  the  ministry  as  to  their 
soundness  in  the  faith,  acquaintance  with  experi- 
mental religion,  gravity,  and  aptness  to  teach,  and 
admit  no  other  proof  of  their  authority,  but  Christ 
speaking  in  them. 

Item  6.  We  will  that  the  church  of  Christ  look 
up  to  the  Lord  of  the  harvest  to  send  forth 
laborers  into  his  harvest,  and  to  resume  her  primi- 
tive right  of  trying  those  who  say  they  are  apos- 
tles and  are  not. 

Item  7.  We  will  that  each  particular  church  as 
a  body  actuated  by  the  same  spirit  choose  her  own 
preacher  and  support  him  by  a  free  will  offering 
without  a  written  call  or  subscription,  admit 
members,  remove  offenses  and  never  henceforth 
delegate  her  right  of  government  to  any  man  or 
set  of  men  whatever. 

Item  8.  We  will  that  the  people  henceforth  take 
the  Bible  as  the  only  sure  guide  to  heaven,  and  as 


48 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OP   THE   REFORMATION. 


49 


many  as  are  offended  with  other  books  which 
stand  in  competition  witli  it,  may  cast  them  into 
the  fire  if  they  choose;  for  it  is  better  to  enter  into 
life  having  one  book,  than  having  many  to  be  cast 
into  helL 

Item  9.  ^^e  will  that  preachers  and  people  cul- 
tivate a  spirit  of  mutual  forbearance;  pray  more 
and  dispute  less ;  and  while  they  behold  the  signs 
of  the  times,  look  up  and  confidently  expect  that 
redemption  draweth  nigh. 

Item  10.  We  will  that  our  weak  brethren  who 
may  have  been  wishing  to  make  the  Presbytery  of 
Springfield  their  king,  and  wot  not  what  has 
become  of  it,  betake  themselves  to  the  Rock  of 
Ages  and  follow  Jesus  for  the  future. 

Item  11.  We  will  that  the  Synod  of  Kentucky 
examine  every  member  w^ho  may  be  suspected  of 
having  departed  from  the  confession  of  faith  and 
suspend  every  such  heretic  immediately,  in  order 
that  the  oppressed  may  go  free  and  taste  the 
sweets  of  gospel  liberty. 

Item  12.  We  will  that  J.  A. — the  author  of  two 
letters  lately  published  in  Lexington  be  encour- 
aged  in   his   zeal   to  destroy  partyism.     We   will 


moreover  that  our  past  conduct  be  examined  into 
by  all  who  may  have  correct  information;  but  let 
foreigners  beware  of  speaking  evil  of  things 
which  they  know  not.  Finally  we  will  that  all 
our  sister  bodies  read  their  Bibles  carefully  that 
they  may  see  their  fate  therein  determined  and 
prepare  for  death  before  it  is  too  late. 

Springfield  Presbytery,)  ^  ^ 
June  28,  1804.  j 
Robert  Marshall, 

John  Dunlavy, 
Richard  McNemar, 
B.  W.  Stone, 
John  Thompson, 
David  Purviauce, 


Witnesses. 


i 


CHAPTER  in. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  REFORMATION  OF  THE  NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

AFTER  tlie  meeting  at  Cane  Ridge,  Stone  and 
his  colleagues  published  the  tollowing: 
''  Witli  deep  concern  we  have  viewed  the  divisions 
and  party  spirit  among  professing  Christians,  prin- 
cipally owing  to  the  adoption  of  human  creeds  and 
forms  of  government.  While  we  were  united  un- 
der the  name  of  Presbytery,  we  endeavored  to  cul- 
tivate a  spirit  of  love  and  unity  with  all  Chris- 
tians, but  found  it  extremely  difficult  to  suppress 
the  idea  that  we  ourselves  were  a  party  separate 
from  others.  We  have  taken  the  name  of  Chris- 
tians not  because  we  considered  ourselves  more 
pure  than  others,  but  because  we  knew  it  was  the 
name  first  given  to  the  disciples  of  Jesus  by  divine 
authority.  It  better  agreed  with  our  spirit,  which 
is  to  unite  with  all  Christians,  without  regard  to 
names  or  distinctions.  There  are  party  names  too 
many  already  in  the  world,  without  our  assuming 
another.  Partyism  is  distinctly  opposed  to  the 
(50) 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


51 


plan   of  heaven,  which  is   to  gather  into   one,  or 
unite  all  in  Christ  Jesus.     It  is   contrary  to   the 
express  command  of  God,  to  the  doctrine,  exam- 
ple and  prayer  of  Jesus,  to  the  repeated  exhorta- 
tions of  his  inspired  apostles,  and  to  the  very  Spirit 
of  Christ   in   all  his   new-born    children^  for  they 
are  born  with  heavenly  love  and  union  with  the 
whole  family  of  Christ.     But  alas!  how  many  are 
corrupted  from  the  simplicity  of  the  gospel.     En- 
listed into  a  party,  they  too  soon  are  taught  to 
despise  others,  and  to  forget  the  good  exhortation, 
"  Let  brotherly  love  continue."     We  have  neither 
made  nor  adopted  any  party  creed,  but  have  taken 
the  Bible  only  as  our  standard.     We  have  taken 
no  party  names  by  which  to  distinguish  ourselves 
from  others,  but  the  general  name  Christian.     We 
have  raised  no  bars  from  our  communion  but  what 
the  Bible  has  raised  before  us.     It   is   said   that 
heretics    are    to   be   excluded   from   the    church. 
Granted,  but  by  what  law  are  they  to  be  judged? 
Certainly   by  the  Bible.      Rom.  xvi:    17,  "Mark 
them  who  cause  divisions  and  offences  contrary  to 
the   doctrine   which   ye   have  learned   and  avoid 
them."     Among  fallible  mortals  who  know  so  lit- 
tle, a  tolerant  spirit  ought  to  prevail,  especially 


52 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


among  Christians.  A  Christian  is  to  be  judged  by 
his  fruit;  if  the  fruit  be  good,  the  tree  is  also 
good.  If  we  determine  a  man  to  be  good  or  bad 
by  his  notions  or  opinions,  we  are  sure  to  err,  as 
matters  of  fiict.  For  how  many  have  orthodox 
sentiments  and  wicked  practices,  and  how  many 
are  holy  in  their  lives,  but  have  erroneous  opin- 
ions. If  to  the  profession  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ 
as  the  only  Savior  of  sinners,  be  joined  a  depen- 
dence on  him  alone  for  salvation;  if  to  this  be 
added  a  holy  life  according  to  the  gospel,  this  man 
thus  professing  and  acting  is  a  Christian  in  the 
estimation  of  heaven,  and  if  God  deigns  to  receive 
and  commune  with  such,  who  shall  reject  him? 
What  if  he  may  have  erroneous  opinions;  yet  they 
do  not  become  principles  of  his  heart  or  his  life  so 
as  to  influence  him  to  err  in  practice.  A  person 
of  this  character  should  not  be  excluded  from  the 
arms  of  charity.  Yet  we  should  not  spare  his 
errors,  but  in  the  meekness  of  wisdom  labor  to 
correct  them.  By  thus  treating  him  as  a  brother 
we  can  have  access  to  his  heart,  so  as  to  impress  it 
with  truth.  This  I  hope,  dear  brethren,  we  shall 
labor  to  do,  from  a  disposition  to  please  God 
rather  than  man.     In  this  too  there  is  danger  of 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


F^^ 


erring,  but  it  is  safer  to  err  on  the  side  of  charity. 
One  thing  I  have  ever  observed  that  in  every  re- 
vival of  pure  religion,  the  spirit  of  toleration 
revives  with  it,  and  as  religion  declines  intolera- 
tion  increases.  Pure  religion  expands  the  souls  of 
Christians,  but  bigotry  contracts  them." 

The  above  manifesto  written  and  published  by 
B.  W,  Stone  is  an  honor  to  the  head  and  heart  of 
any  man  that  ever  graced  our  country. 

Shortly  after  this  meeting  at  Cane  Ridge  when 
the  Springfield  Presbytery  was  buried,  Dunlavy 
and  McNenuu*  went  off  v/ith  the  Shakers. 

When  Gideon's  army  went  out  to  battle,  it  was 
found  to  be  too  numerous,  lest  the  credit  of  the 
victory  be  given  to  man,  and  he  will  say  "By  the 
strength  of  my  hand  I  have  done  it,  and  by  my 
wisdom.  Shall  the  ax  boast  itself  against  him 
that  heweth  therewith."  So  in  the  restoration  of 
the  ancient  order  of  things,  six  men  were  too  many, 
and  Dunlavy  and  McNemar  joined  the  Shakers. 
And  yet  an  army  of  four  was  too  numerous,  lest 
the  credit  of  the  victory  be  not  given  to  him  who 
holds  in  his  hand  the  destiny  of  nations,  and 
weighs  the  dust  of  the  earth  in  scales,  and  the 
mountains  in  balances.     Is  it  not  the  law  that  ia 


54 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


the  moiitli  of  two  witnesses  everything  shall  be 
established.  And  Marshall  and  Thompson  were 
permitted  to  return  to  the  flesh  pots  of  Presbyte- 
rianism. 

But  the  Christian  ensign  i.  e.  the  new  covenant 
never  trailed  in  the  dust  when  borne  by  Stone  and 
Purviance.  These  two  noble  men  caused  a  perfect 
upheaval  among  the  churches  in  Kentucky.  B. 
W.  Stone  having  a  fine  collegiate  education,  at  the 
age  of  twenty-four  settled  at  Cane  Ridge,  Ky. 
Two  years  later  he  had  a  call  from  the  churches  at 
Cane  Ridge  and  Concord.  He  studied  attentively 
the  confession  of  faith.  He  says,  "I  went  into 
the  Presbytery,  and  w^hen  the  question  was  pro- 
pounded *Do  you  receive  and  adopt  the  confession 
of  faith  as  containing  the  system  of  doctrine 
taught   in   the  Bible?'   I  answered  aloud,  so   that 

the  whole  congregation  might  hear,'  I  do,  as  far 
as  I  see  it  consistent  with  the  word  of  God.'  No 
objection  being  made,  I  was  ordained." 

In  1801  a  meeting  began  at  Cane  Ridge.  Stone 
says  this  memorable  meeting  came  on  Thursday 
or  Friday  before  the  third  Lord's  day  in  August. 
The  roads  were  literally  crowded  with  wagons, 
carriages,  and    footmen    moving  to    the    solemn 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


55 


1 


camp.  The  sight  was  affecting.  It  was  judged 
by  military  men  on  the  ground  that  there  were 
twenty  or  thirty  thousand  collected.  Four  or  five 
preachers  were  frequently  speaking  at  the  same 
time,  in  difterent  parts  of  the  encampment,  with- 
out confusion.  The  Methodists  and  Baptists 
preachers  aided  in  the  work,  and  all  appeared  cor- 
dially united  in  the  work,  of  one  mind  and  one 
soul,  and  the  salvation  of  sinners  seemed  to  be  the 
great  object  of  all." 

Even  this  early  the  people  seemed  to  be 
drinking  in  the  spirit  of  union. 

B.  W.  Stone  says:  '^Having  in  1804  divested 
ourselves  of  all  party  creeds  and  party  names,  and 
trusting  alone  in  God  and  his  word,  and  being 
lauo-hino-  stock  fo  the  sects  around  us,  all  people 
prophesying  our  speedy  annihilation,  yet  from  this 
period  I  date  the  commencement  of  that  refor- 
mation which  has  progressed  to  this  day.  Through 
much  tribulation  and  opposition  we  advanced,  and 
and  churches  and  preachers  were  multiplied. " 

In  1803,  David  Purviance,  an  able  and  eloquent 
Presbyterian  preacher,  united  with  Stone  in  the 
reformation,  although  they  did  not  withdraw  from 
the  Presbyterian  church  until  the  following  spring 


56 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


Stone,  after  his  withdrawal  from  the  Presbyterian 

church,  continued  to  preach  at  Cane   Ridge   and 

Concord,  night  and  day;  hundreds  of  persons  made 

the  good  confession;  new  churches  were  formed 

throughout    the    interior  of  Kentucky    and    the 

western  part  of  Ohio.     In  1806,  Purviance  moved 

to  Preble   County,   Ohio.      He  there   found   able 

brethren  proclaiming  for  a  union  on  the  Bible  alone; 

among  them  was  Thomas  Kyle.     In   1804,   Kyle 

while  living  in  Woodford  County,  Ky.,  united  with 

the  reformation.     lie  was  quite  spiritual  and  deeply 

in  earnest,  and  had  but  few  equals  in  winning  souls 

to  the  cross,  and  at  times  became  quite  eloquent. 

In  1805,  he  moved  to  Preble  County,  at  that  time 

a  thinly  populated  frontier  county.     His  preaching 

extended  not  only  over  Preble,  but  also  over  Miami 

County.     He  continued  a  successful  proclaimer  of 

the  gospel  until  1809,  when  he  fell  asleep  in  the 

arms  of  Jesus. 

ISTathan  Worley  was  also  an  able  expounder  of 
the  word;  he  moved  from  Lexington,  Ky.,  in  1805, 
and  settled  near  the  little  sickly  village  of  Davton, 
Ohio.  He  united  with  the  reformation  in  1804; 
he  formed  prayer-meetings  and  preached  up  and 
down  the  Miami  valley     He  was  quite  successful 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


CH 


in  winning  souls  to  Christ.  Ilis  whole  efibrt 
seemed  to  be  to  keep  Christ  before  the  people  and 
to  keep  self  out  of  view;  he  continued  a  faithful 
and  humble  preacher  until  death,  and  was  buried 
in  Dayton,  Ohio,  in  1847. 

Reuben  Dooley  was  also  a  faithful  laborer  in  our 
Master's  vineyard.  While  living  in  Madison 
County,  Ky.,  he  united  with  the  reformation  in 
1806;  in  1808  he  moved  to  Preble  County,  Ohio. 
At  that  time  John  Dunlavy  was  a  noted  and  elo- 
quent preacher  in  the  Shaker  church  in  that  part 
of  Ohio,  and  as  he  had  been  connected  with  the 
reformation  he  made  a  protracted  efiort  to  con- 
vert Elder  Dooley  to  the  Shaker  faith;  he  followed 
him  from  place  to  place,  until  Dooley  became  very 
much  enraged  and  said  to  him  in  the  language  of 
Paul:  "  Oh,  full  of  all  subtlety,  and  all  mischief, 
thou  child  of  the  devil,  thou  enemy  of  all 
righteousness,  wilt  thou  not  cease  to  pervert  the 
right  ways  of  the  Lord?"  Dooley  was  no  longer 
troubled  by  the  Shakers.  In  1809,  Dooley  preached 
through  Kentucky,  Virginia,  IsTorth  and  South 
Carolina.  Although  he  was  quite  eccentric,  he 
was  popular  as  a  preacher.  In  1810,  B.  W.  Stone 
and  R.  Dooley  commenced  travelling  together  In 


58 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Ohio.     They  began  preaching  in  Preble  County. 
B.  W.  Stone  wrote :     "  We  preached  and  baptized 
daily  in  Eaton  for  many  days.     No  house  could 
contain  the  people  that  flocked  to  hear.     We  had 
to  preach  in  the  open  streets  to  the  anxious  multi- 
tude.    At  night  after  service,  the  cries  and  prayei's 
of  the  distressed  in  many  houses  around,  were  truly 
solemn.     Almost  the  whole  town  were  baptized, 
and  added  to  the  Lord.     We  left  this  place,  and 
preached  and  baptized  in  many  other  places.     We 
were  poorly  clad  and  had  no  money  to  buy  clothes. 
Going  on  at  a  certain  time  through  the  barrens,  a 
limb  tore  brother  Dooley's  striped  linen  pantaloons 
very  much;  he  had  no  others  nor  had  I  anotlior 
pair  to  lend  him.     We  consoled  ourselves  that  we 
were  on  the  Lord's  work  and  he  would  provide. 
lie  tied  his  handkerchief  over  the  rent,  and  we 
went  on  and  preached  to  the  people.     That  night, 
we  lodged   with  brother   Samuel  Wilson,  whose 
wife  presented  him  with  a  pair  of  linen  homespun 
pantaloons." 

In  1811,  Dooley  and  Stone  travelled  throug-h 
Kentucky  and  over  part  of  Tennessoe,  teaching 
and  exhorting  the  people  to  turn  to  the  Lord. 
After  Dooly  returned,  he  settled  in  Preble  County, 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


59 


Ohio,  and  while  preaching  in  the  Miami  valley,  he 
took  the  milk  sickness,  and  never  recovered  from 
the  eltects  of  it.  It  was  a  common  disease  at  that 
time  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  In  1817,  Elder 
Dooley  preached  in  Missouri ;  in  1821,  he  preached 
in  Virginia.     He  died  in  1822. 

The  time  would  fail  me,  were  I  to  give  a  faithful 
account  of  all  the  noble,  able,  self-sacrificing 
preachers  who  went  about  proclaiming  the  word 
of  the  Lord,  winning  souls  to  Christ,  and  would 
refer  the  reader  to  the  writings  of  Campbell,  Stone 
and  Purviance,  from  whom  I  have  received  much 
of  the  information  of  those  early  days  of  the  refor- 
mation. 

In  those  early  days,  Kentucky  sent  missionaries 
to  the  adjoining  states.  These  evangelists,  like 
those  sent  by  the  Lord,  provided  neither  gold 
nor  silver  nor  brass  in  their  purses,  nor  scrip  for 
their  journey;  neither  two  coats,  neither  staves; 
and  although  a  workman  is  worthy  of  his  meat 
they  frequently  went  hungry.  They  left  loving 
families  and  comfortable  homes  that  they  might 
win  souls  to  Christ.  These  were  among  the  ablest, 
in  rightly  dividing  the  word,  our  country  ever  pro- 
duced.    Cushioned  pulpits  and  wealthy  calls  were 


I 


'  > 


60 


RExMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


unknown  among  them ;  their  battles  were  fought 
and  victories  won,  at  cross-roads  and  country 
school-houses,  and  woe  betide  those  imprudent 
theologians  who  crossed  swords  with  their  old 
Jerusalem  blade ;  they  were  soon  routed,  foot,  horse 
and  dragoon. 

In  what  consisted  the  secret  of  their  success? 
Chiefly,  I  would  say,  in  their  religion  and  the  scrip- 
tures. Stone  and  Purviance,  it  is  true,  had  not 
only  studied,  but  taught  the  dead  languages;  but 
their  success  was,  to  a  large  extent  due  to  their 
familiarity  with  the  :N'ew  Testament.  The  Testa- 
ment was  introduced  into  the  churches ;  members 
could  be  seen  bringing  their  Testaments  to  church. 
It  was  read  in  the  family,  in  the  school ;  read  every 
place  and  every  place  read,  good  results  followed 
in  its  wake. 

The  land  was  full  of  disputers,  and  disputings 
were  the  order  of  the  day.  Old  Brother  Pritchard, 
forty  or  fifty  years  ago,  told  me  that  a  preacher 
said  to  his  audience:  "Do  not  have  anything  to 
do  w^ith  the  Campbellites ;  they  are  always  dis- 
puting; coming  through  town,  an  old  negro 
standing  in  front  of  his  master's  door,  with  the 
Testament  in  his  hand,  he  stuck  it  at  me,  saying : 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


61 


« 'Spute,  'spute. '  All  they  want  is  for  some  one  to 
'spute  with  them ;  I  advise  you  to  let  them  alone." 
It  was  good  advice,  for  when  you  took  hold  of  one 
of  them,  you  desired  some  one  to  help  you  let 
them  go. 

It  was  a  sad  aftair  when  the  scriptures  were  ex- 
cluded from  our  public  schools.  The  New  Testa- 
ment continued  to  be  used  as  a  school  book  for 
more  than  thirty  years  after  the  reformation  of 
the  nineteenth  century  began.  I  read,  many  years 
ago,  of  the  belated  traveller  calling  at  a  cabin  to 
stay  all  night.  He  had  considerable  money  and 
felt  uneasy,  but  was  relieved  when  his  host  read  a 
chapter  in  the  Bible  before  retiring. 


i\ 


X 


CHAPTER  IV. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION    OF    THE    NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

IN  1808,  Thomas  Campbell,  a  Presbyterian 
preacher,  delivered  his  first  sermon  on  the 
union  of  all  Christians  on  the  Bible  alone.  He  was 
one  of  the  most  venerable  looking  men  I  ever  saw; 
his  face  was  as  fair,  as  fat,  and  as  smooth  as  a  baby's, 
and  he  was  about  as  innocent  and  as  unsuspecting 
and  as  easily  imposed  upon.  Honest  himself,  he 
seemed  to  regard  everybody  else  as  honest.  He 
loved  everybody  ;  in  this  respect  he  was  very  much 
like  B.  W.  Stone ;  each  were,  in  warp  and  woof, 
composed  of  the  material  that  forms  martyrs. 

If  any  one  man  deserves  the  credit  of  intro- 
ducing the  ancient  order  of  things,  that  man  was 
B.  W.  Stone.  But  the  credit  belongs  not  to  any 
one  man.  Before  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  God's  Spirit  was  moving  upon  the  great 
deep,  and  the  union  sentiment  and  death  to  creeds 
seemed  to  be  inhaled  in  the  mental  atmosphere. 

This  inspiration  emanated  from  the  fountain  head. 
(62) 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE  REFORMATION. 


68 


The  good  and  great  in  Europe,  as  well  as  in 
America,  were  breathing  the  spirit  of  religious 
liberty. 

On  the  26th  of  May,  1786,  James  Madison,  who 
subsequently  became  president  of  the  Episcopal 
church,  said  in  a  sermon  he  delivered  before  the 
Protestant  Episcopal  church  in  the  State  of  Vir- 
ginia: "I  earnestly  recommend  our  Christians  to 
reject  every  system  as  the  fallible  production  of 
human  contrivance,  which  shall  dictate  articles  of 
faith,  and  adopt  the  gospel  alone  as  their  guide. 
Those  Christian  societies  will  ever  be  found  to  have 
formed  their  union  upon  principles,  the  wisest  and 
the  best,  which  make  the  scriptures  alone,  and  not 
human  articles,  a  confession  of  belief,  the  sole  rule 
of  faith  and  conduct. " 

Some  of  the  churches  in  Scotland  occupied  ad- 
vanced ground  at  the  beginning  of  the  present 
century.  In  1808,  the  Independent  church  at 
Edinburgh  met  every  Lord's  day  to  b/eak  bread, 
baptized  only  believers,  and  had  the  Bible  alone  for 
their  creed. 

In  1809,  Alexander  Campbell,  then  a  young  man, 
fresh  from  college,  educated  for  the  Presbyterian 
ministry,  moved  from  Scotland  to  the  United  States, 


64 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


and  settled  in  the  western  part  of  Virginia,   and 
after  preaching  for  a  short  time,  concluded  that 
immersion  alone  was  baptism^  and  that  baptism 
should  be  administered   only    to    believers.     For 
these  reasons  he  withdrew  from  the  Presbyterian 
church   and   united   with   the   Baptist  church   in 
southeastern  Ohio,  induced  them  to  change  their 
name  to  the  Disciples'  church,  and  to  discard  their 
articles  of    faith   and    to    take    the   Bible   alone, 
for  their  guide.      Thus,  in  1811,  he  became  iden- 
tified with  the  union  movement.     Ilis  vast  acquire- 
ments,    thorough     scholarship,     and     undaunted 
courage,  made  him  a  terror  to  Babylon.     The  be- 
loved disciple  and  apostle,  John,  labored  for  seven 
years  to  establish  the  gospel,  before  the    lionlike 
Paul  was  sent  to  his  aid.     So  the  beloved  Stone, 
with  his  timid,  sweet,  child-like  disposition,  battled 
for  seven  years  against  sectarianism,  the  flesh  and 
the  devil,  before  Alexander  Campbell  joined  the 
union  movement.     In  October,  1823,  Campbell  had 
a  debate    with  AV.  S.  McCalla,  in    Washington, 
Mason    County,  Ky.      John  A.   McClung,   who 
afterwards     became     a     distinguished     Presbyte- 
rian  preacher,  was   McCalla's   friend.     lie   after- 
wards said  to  me:      "We  were  very  much  sur- 


, 


\ 


REMINISCENCES    OE    THE   REEOllMATION. 


65 


prised  in  Campbell;  he  came  here  a  young  man  of 
whom  we  knew  but  little.  McCalla  was  an  eld- 
erly man  and  well  informed.  We  expected  him  to 
defeat  Campbell  without  much  trouble,  but  the 
first  charge  Campbell  made,  he  struck  McCalla's 
front,  fiank,  and  rear,  and  so  confused  him  that  he 
never  recovered  from  the  shock  during  the  entire 

debate." 

In  1823,  A.  Campbell  began  the  publication  of 
the  Christian  Baptist.  It  contains  his  best  thoughts. 
His  custom  for  many  years  before  his  death,  wa.^ 
to  retire  to  bed  at  ten  and  get  up  at  six  o'clock. 
Ai'ter  reading  and  writing  all  day,  at  night  he 
would  repeat  to  his  family  that  which  he  had  been 
reading  during  the  day.  If  he  had  company, 
when  the  clock  struck  ten,  he  w^ould  rise,  saying, 
<'  it  is  my  bed  time."  Shortly  after  he  began  the 
publication  of  the  Christian  Baptist^  he  visited  Ken- 
tucky on  a  preaching  tour.  In  1824,  he  preached 
in  Mayslick,  Kentucky,  where  I  resided. 

In  1832,  a  union  was  formed  between  the  Chris- 
tians, represented  by  Stone,  and  the  Disciples, 
represented  by  brother  Campbell.  The  first 
meeting  to  u^ite  the  Christians  and  Disciples  was 
held  in  Georgetown,  Ky.,  December,  1831,  and 
5 


66 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


lasted  four  days.  Other  meetings  followed  in 
quick  succession.  I  think  it  was  in  1831,  that  John 
T.  Johnson  withdrew  from  the  Baptist  churcli  and 
united  in  the  reformation.  He  was  nearer  a 
model  than  any  man  I  ever  knew.  I  have  not  for- 
gotten, when  alone  with  him,  his  pleading  as 
though  his  own  life  was  at  stake,  and  big  tears 
tracing  down  his  manly  cheeks  and  it  was  all  to 
induce  me  to  leave  oft*  my  boyish  ways  and  be- 
come a  devoted  Christian.  Brother  Johnson  was 
very  earnest  and  quite  eloquent,  and  in  1824, 
while  a  member  of  Congress,  exerted  quite  an 
influence  in  that  body. 

Bat  there  are  other  persons  whose  names  should 
not  be  entirely  forgotten.  I  think  it  was  during 
the  summer  of  1831,  that  I  formed  the  acquaintance 
of  Bro.  Abernathey  of  Missouri.  He  had  strong, 
attractive  qualities  and  a  continual  overflow  of 
love,  and  by  that  mysterious  agency  called  love,  he 
won  souls  to  Christ.  About  the  same  time,  I  met 
Elder  Luke  of  Ohio;  he  was  also  a  successful 
preacher  who  drove  the  truth  into  his  audience  as 
with  a  sledge  hammer,  and  his  old  Jerusalem  blade 
was  well  handled.  They  had  come  to  Kentucky 
on  a  preaching  tour.     John  Brooks,  who  lived  be- 


i 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


67 


tweeii  Minerva  and  Germantown  Ky.,  was  also  a 
polished  speaker.  I  think  that  it  was  in  1830, 1 
heard  him  trying  to  show  by  the  scriptures  that 
the  Jews  must  be  converted  to  Christianity  and  re- 
turn to  Jerusalem  before  the  final  judgment. 

In  the  years  1832,  '3  and  '4  B.  W.  Stone  and 
John  T.  Johnson  edited  the  Christian  Messenger  at 
Georgetown,  Ky.;  it  exerted  a  powerful  influence 
in  bringing  about  a  union. 

After  arrangements  were  made  for  a  union  in  18 
32,  John  Rogers  of  the  Christian  church  and  John 
Smith  formerly  of  the  Baptist  church  were  se- 
lected to  visit  the  churches  and  labor  for  a  union. 
They  were  a  power  in  the  land.  Rogers  was  of  a 
commanding  appearance,  a  ripe  scholar,  a  devoted 
Christian ;  his  head  was  as  clear  as  a  bell.  You 
would  have  to  travel  long  to  find  the  equals  of 
these  two  men.  Elder  Raccoon  John  Smith  went 
through  Kentucky  cutting  and  slashing  like  a 
kitchen  knife  whetted  on  a  brick-bat,  rough  and 
deep,  with  a  limited  education  gained  at  the  rude 
log  schoolhouse  of  that  day.  Possessing  an  un- 
usually vigorous  mind  and  retentive  memory, 
brimful  of  wit,  with  a  droll  voice,  he  was  a  one- 
book  man,  having  studied  carefully  the  New  Tes- 


>y 


68 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


taiiient.     He   was   very   powerful   in   debate;   his 
quiver  of  wit  was  always  full  of  pointed  arrows. 
Persons  would  go  to  trouble  to  call  out  his  wit. 
He  was  called  Raccoon  John  Smith.     A  young 
pedo-baptist    preacher   (it  is  said)  remarked:    "I 
want   to   go  with   Raccoon   when   he  goes   coon 
hunting."     Smith  replied:  ''I  want  you  along;  a 
hound  puppy  can  smell  a  coon  further  than  any 
other  kind  of  dog."     "  Mr.  Smith,  Tl\  give  you  the 
rough  side  of  my  tongue."     "  Yes,  every  calf  has 
a  rough  side  to  its  tongue."     In  1832,  when  Rog- 
ers and  Smith  started  to  visit  the  churches  there 
were    eight    thousand    Christians    in    Kentucky, 
about  two  thousand  in  Ohio,  and  a  few  in  Vir- 
ginia, Tennessee,  and    Missouri,  and    nearly    an 
equal  number   of  Disciples.     In  September  1833, 
John  Smith  said,  "  Within  the  last  two  months  I 
have  baptized  278  persons,  within  seven  miles  of 
my  house."     In   1833,  Walter  Scott  who  was   at 
that   time  editing  a   paper  in  Carthage,  Ohio,  re- 
ported  a    meeting  with    thirty  additions.     J.  T. 
Johnson,  John  O'Kane,  and  Love  Jamison    were 
present,  and    preaching.     O'Kane  about  this   time 
began  publishing  a  paper  called  the  Casket,  in  Con- 
nersville,  Indiana.     In    Kentucky,  Henry   T.  An- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


69 


derson,  the  translator  of  the  New  Testament,  was 
doins:  a  irood  work  as  a  teacher.     From  the  15th 
of  July  until  the  15th  of  September,  1833,  there 
were  reported  from  the  interior  of  Kentucky  700 
accessions  to  the  Christian    church,  and   quite  a 
number  were  added  in  Indiana  and  Ohio.     In  In- 
diana, John  O'Kane,  Thomas  Lockhart,  Love  Jam- 
ison, Jacob  Daubenspick,  Johnnie  P.  Thompson, 
John    New,  B.  K.  Smith,  S.  K.  Houshour,  George 
Campbell,  B.  K.  Reeve,    McPherson,  Ilaselet,  J. 
M.  Mathcs  and  others  were  preaching  the  word. 
I  think  that  it  was  prior  to  this  that  S.  K.  Hou- 
shour moved  to  Wayne  county,  Indiana.     I    did 
not  form  his  acquaintance  till  1840.     He  had  been 
educated  for  the  Lutheran  church.     He  soon  fell 
in  with  the  reformation,  and  was  a  bold  and  suc- 
cessful proaclier.     By  close  application  and  unre- 
mitted exertion  lie  became  noted  as  a  linguist.     He 
told  me  that  he  had  credit  for  more  than  he  was 
entitled  to,  thr.t  he  only  claimed  to  be  familiar  with 
six   languages.     He    is  the  author  of   Altisonant 
Letters,  a  singular  book  and  a  literary  curiosity. 
He  was  dubbed  the  ^'Puzzled  Dutchman."     After 
his  arrival  in  Indiana,  he  attended  a  pedo-baptist 
meeting.     The  subject  was  baptism.     The  speaker 


I 


70 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


said :  ''  Into "  in  the  Bible  was  a  bad  transla- 
tion, for  it  says  Moses  went  up  into  the  mountain. 
So  going  down  into  the  water  should  read,  going 
down  to,  or  near  by  the  water  and  they  were  then 
baptized  by  pouring  or  sprinkling.  He  then  gave 
an  invitation  to  any  one  to  speak,  whereupon,  I 
am  told,  this  strange  Dutchman  arose  and  said: 
"  Mister  Breacher,  I  ish  so  glad  I  vas  here  to- 
night, for  I  has  had  exblained  what  I  never  pe- 
lieved  before.  Oh,  I  ish  so  glad  dat  into  does 
mean  only  close  by.  "We  read  dat  Taniel  vas 
cast  into  te  ten  of  lions,  and  came  out  alive. 

E'ow,  I  ncfter  could  pelieve  dat,  for  the  wilt 
peasts  would  shust  eat  him  right  up,  but  now  it 
ish  exblained.  lie  vas  shust  close  by.  Oh,  I  ish 
so  glad  I  vas  here  to-night.  We  reat  dat  de  He- 
brew children  vas  cast  into  de  firish  furnace  and 
dat  always  look  like  a  beeg  story  too,  for  day 
would  have  peen  purnt  up,  but  it  ish  plain  to  my 
mint,  for  day  vas  shust  cast  py  or  close  to  the 
iirish  furnace.  Oh,  I  vas  so  glad  I  vas  here  to- 
night. And  den  Mr.  Breacher,  it  is  said  dat  Jo- 
nah was  taken  into  de  whalesh  pelly.  Now  I 
never  could  pelieve  dat,  but  it  is  all  plain,  he  shust 
shumpt  on  to  his  pack  and  rode  ashore.  Oh,  I 
vas  so  glad  I  vas  here  to-night. 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION, 


71 


And    now,    Mr.   Breacher,   if   you    will    shust 
exblain  two  more  passages,  I  shall  be,  oh,  so  happy 
dat  I  vas  here  to-night!     One  of  them  ish  where 
it  saish  de  vicked  shall  pe  cast  into  a  lake  dat 
burns  mit  fire.     0!  Mr.  Breacher,  shall  I  pe   cast 
into  dat  lake  if  I  am  vicked,  or  shust  close  by  or 
near  to,  shust  near  enough  to  be  comfortable?     Oh, 
I  hope  you  tell  me   I  shall  pe  cast  py  a  good  way 
off,  and  I  vill  pe  so  glad  I  vas  here  to-night.     De 
odder  passage  is  dat  vich  saish  blessed   are  day 
who  do  dese  commandments,  dat  dey  may  enter  in 
troo  de  gates  into  de    city.     I^ow,  Mr.  Breacher, 
if  I  vas  good,   shall  I  go  into  de   city   or  only 
shust  close  py  or  near  enough  to  see  vhat  I  have 
lost.      Please   exblain    and  I  shall  peso   glad  I 
vas  here  to-night." 

In  1834,  John  T.  Johnson  started  a  Sunday-school 
in  Georgetown,  Ky.  The  members  committed  to 
memory  portions  of  the  New  Testament  and  on 
the  next  Lord's  day  repeated  it.  Sometimes  whole 
chapters  would  be  repeated  at  a  time,  thus  difter- 
ing  materially  from  our  present  Sunday-school, 
where  each  scholar  is  supplied  with  lesson  leaves 
and  simply  reads  off  the  questions  and  answers, 
^nd  the  word  has  no  abiding  place.     While  the 


72 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


writer  attended  school  from  1828  until  1839,  the 
New  Testament  was  a  school  book,  and  girls  and 
boys  studied  the  scriptures,  and  the  word  of  God 
dwelt  in  them  richly.  How  is  it  now  ?  Not  only 
among  the  private  members  of  the  church,  but 
also  among  the  preachers,  if  you  can  find  one  who 
can  repeat  three  chapters  correctly,  he  is  the  ex- 
ception. IIow  can  we  reasonably  hope  for  the 
gospel  to  have  the  success  it  had  in  those  days 
when  it  dwells  so  little  in  men's  hearts.  The  word 
is  the  seed  and  it  is  not  strange  that  a  famine  is 
the  result,  when  the  seed  is  not  sown.  Oh  !  that 
parents  would  teach  their  children  the  'Sew  Testa- 
ment, particularly  the  words  and  acts  of  our 
blessed  Lord.  Then  we  should  not  find  so  many 
irreligious  young  men  in  the  country,  for  igno- 
rance is  the  source  of  irreligion.  I  have  never 
known  an  irreligious  man  who  was  versed  in  the 
scriptures.  I  presume  that  Bacon  College  at 
Georgetown  was  a  child,  and  the  Bible  College  at 
Lexington  is  the  grandchild  of  the  Georgetown 
Sunday-school. 

Those  early  preachers  dwelt  upon  the  fact  that 
the  word  is  the  seed,  and  faith  is  its  product,  and 
that  repentance  is  the  fruit  of  the  motive  the  gos- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


73 


pel  presents,  and  love  for  God  will  produce  obedi- 
ence, and  obedience  will  produce  pardon,  as  Christ 
has  promised  pardon  to  all  who  believe  and  obey, 
and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  bestowed  on  all  such  and 
eternal  life  will  be  given  to  all  who  continued  to 
be  governed  by  the  word  of  God. 

The  reformation  has   had  a  salutary  influence 
upon  the  Protestant  churches.     It  was  very  com- 
mon in  those  days  to  hear  them  praying  for  an 
outpouring  of  the  Holy  Spirit  to  convert  the  sin- 
ner and  give  him   faith,  and  sinners  would  con- 
tinue a  long  time  at  the  mourner's  bench  and  the 
preacher  praying  for  God  to  give  them  faith  and 
convert  them,  and  in  some  churches  the  applicant 
gave  in  his  experience,  and  a  committee  canvassed 
it,  deciding  whether  he  was  a  fit  subject  to  obey. 
Many  good  persons  would  seek  in  vain  tor  weeks 
and   months,   at  the  mourner's  bench,  for  faith. 
They  have  learned  a  lesson  from  these  reformers 
who  told  the  penitent  believer  what  to   do,  and 
after  obeying   as  it  was   during  the  days  of  the 
apostles,  it  was  not  an  hour  until  the  convert,  in 
possession  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  went  on  his  way  re- 
joicing.    The   reformation  of  the   sixteenth   cen- 
tury struck  a  death  blow  at  the  Inquisition,  but  it 


'^ 


74 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OF    THE   REFORMATION. 


75 


had  taken  such  deep  root  it  was  two  centuries  dy- 
ing, and  although  the  reformation  of  the  nine- 
teenth century  struck  a  deep  blow  at  creeds,  they 
may  require  two  centuries  dying. 

A  church  would  withdraw  their  fellowship  from 
a  good  member  if  he  partook  of  the  Lord's  Supper 
with  the  reformers.  The  writer  has  known  a 
preacher  to  return  thanks  for  the  loaf  and  then  re- 
fuse to  partake,  as  it  was  against  their  rules. 
Truly  the  world  moves. 

An  anecdote  w^as  told,  that  goes  to  illustrate 
Walter  Scott's  blunt  way  of  speaking.  Preaching 
at  night  after  the  meeting  had  been  in  progress 
a  week,  his  irreligious  audience  were  almost  asleep. 
He  said  to  the  small  boys  in  the  front  seat :  "  Boys, 
I  passed  by  the  school-house  at  noon  to-day,  and 
you  were  playing  sky-ball.  You  dug  a  hole  in  the 
ground,  put  one  end  of  a  paddle  in  it,  caught  a 
harmless  toad,  put  it  on  the  lower  end  of  the  paddle, 
and  the  poor  toad  was  thrown  into  the  air  and 
mashed.  Poor  toad!  it  never  harmed  you,  boys. 
Oh !  the  poor  toad ;  see  it,  boys,  all  mashed. " 
When  the  boys  began  to  cry,  he  turned  to  the  men  : 
"Oh,  you  generation  of  vipers!  I  have  been 
talking  to  you  for  a  week  about  our  Lord  who  was 


nailed  to  the  cross  for  you,  and  you  are  asleep, 
while  the  boys  are  crying  over  a  worthless  toad. " 
In  1832   and  1833,   while   Stone   and  Johnson 
edited  the  Messenger^  there  was  a  greater  ratio  of 
increase  in  the  Christian  church  than   there  has 
ever  been  since  the  days  of  the  apostles.     I  think 
that  it  was  in  1834  that  the  writer  met,  for  the 
first  time,  John  O'Kane.     He  was  holding  his  first 
series  ot  meetings  in  Mason  County,  Ky.    He  was 
a  very  able  and  eloquent   speaker,   and  inherited 
with  his  Irish  descent,  an  unusual  amount  of  ready 
wit  that  added  to  his  power  in  debate.     He  con- 
tinued to  proclaim  the  word  with  great  power  until 
he  was  eighty-four  years  of  age. 

In  1835,  J.  T.  Johnson  and  B.  P.  Hall,  published 
the  Gospel  Advocate  in  Georgetown,  Ky.,  B.  W. 
Stone  having  moved  the  Messenger  to  Illinois. 
During  this  year,  C.  T.  Fanning,  J.  Creath,  Jr., 
John  Kogers,  L.  L.  Pinkerton,  Thomas  Smith, 
Walter  Scott,  J.  A.  Gano,  J.  T.  Johnson,  John 
Smith,  Morton  and  others  were  making  it  lively 
for  the  enemy  in  Kentucky,  while  Turner,  Wills, 
AVright,  Abernather,  Dr.  Jordan,  T.  W.  Allen, 
Jesse  Wilkes  and  others  were  doing  a  good  work 
in  Missouri ;  in  Tennessee,  W.  D.  Carnes  and  T» 


76 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Fanning.  In  1838,  we  hud  20,000  members  in  Ken- 
tucky. During  tliis  your,  Jolm  T.  Johnson  re- 
ported 700  as  having  obeyed  the  gospel  under  his 
preaching. 

In  one  of  those  early  days,  a  man  said  to  the 
writer:  "Going  to  heaven  is  like  two  farmers 
hauling  wheat  to  town.  A.  says:  "Which  road 
do  you  take  ?  "  B.  says :  *  The  right  hand  road. ' 
A.  says:  "I'll  take  the  left  hand  one;  it  matters 
not  what  road,  so  your  wheat  is  good  when  you 
get  there. "  At  the  last  interview  our  Lord  had 
with  his  apostles,  he  told  them  of  one  way  a  man 
could  have  his  sins  pardoned,  and  in  reading  the 
Acts  of  the  Apostles,  I  find  they  followed  his 
direction  in  pointing  out  that  one  way.  I  was 
reading  of  a  friend  of  mine  who  is  an  eloquent 
preacher,  saying :  "  There  are  two  roads  to  heaven, 
a  dry  road  and  a  wet  road;  you  can  take  your 
choice. "  Now,  if  our  brother  is  travelling  on 
the  dry  road,  I  fear  he  will  find  it  not  only  dry, 
but  very  hot,  and  he  may  want  water,  but  he  will 
not  be  the  first  rich  man  who  wanted  water  and 
could  not  get  it. 

About  1837,  I  heard  J.  T.  Johnson  say,  in  a  ser- 
mon:    "When  I  get  to  heaven,  if  there  is  only 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


77 


one  bright  crown  left,  I'll  say,  put  it  on  my  wife's 
head."     About  1835,   J.  J.   Moss,   an   able    and 
eloquent  proclaimer  of  the  word,  preached  and  sold 
books  in  northern  Kentucky,  and  was,  I  am  told 
still  living  in  1890;  and  Dr.  Jordan,  Jesse  Wilkes 
and  Love  Jamison,  stood  like  rugged  oaks  that  had 
withstood  a  thousand  storms.     Except  these  and  a 
few  others,  the  early  reformers  have  crossed  the 
river  and  died  in  the  faith,  not  having  received  the 
crown  but    having  seen  it  afar  ofl',  and  were  per- 
suaded of  it  and  confessed  that  they  were  stran- 
o-ers  and  i)ilo:rims  on  the  earth.    For  they  that  say 
sucli  things  declare  plainly  that  they  seek  a  country 
and  truly  if  they  had  heen  mindful  of  that  country 
from  whence  they  came    out,    they  might  have 
had  opportunity  to  have  returned,  but  they  de- 
sired a  better  country,  that  is  a  heavenly,  where- 
fore God  is  not  ashamed  to  be  called  their  God,  for 
he  hath  prepared  for  them  a  city.     The  great  secret 
of  their  success,  was  in  their  knowing  nothing  but 
Christ  and  him  crucified.     Self  was  so  submerged 
in  them,  that  the  salvation  of  the  great  human 
family  monopolized  their  whole  thoughts.    After 
these,  there  were  three  thousand  and  three  soldiers 
in  the  Christian  church,  that  with  tlie  old  Jeru- 


78 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


salem  blade,  went  forth  conquering  and  to  con- 
ouer;  among  them,  Dungan,  of  Missouri,  Camp- 
bell of  Oregon,  Hay,  of  Colorado,  0.  A.  Burgess, 
of  Illinois,  A^an  Buskirk,  Franklin,  Pritohard,  John 
Young,  Sbawer,  Ilopson,  Sweney,  of  Indiana,  AV. 
C.  Dimmit,  of  Texas,  Erret,  of  Ohio,  McGarvey,  R. 
Milligan  and  Hopson,  of  Kentucky,  Lipscomb,  of 
Tennessee,  and  all  the  other  states  are  represented. 
Brother  Ben  Franklin  was  dubbed  by  the  Cir- 
cular Paper  J  "  the  one-book  man."  While  holding 
a  debate  in  Missouri,  his  opponent,  taking  a  wheel- 
barrow load  of  books  to  the  meeting.  Brother  Ben 
was  trudging  along  with  the  New  Testament. 
They  could  have  added  with  propriety,  the  de- 
bater, the  one-book  debater.  If  I  have  not  for- 
gotten, he  said  that  he  had  twenty-six  public  dis- 
cussions, and  that  nine  of  them  had  been  published. 

This  outnumbers  any  brother  of  the  Christian 
church.  I  was  at  Brother  Ben's  in  1847;  he  lived 
at  that  time  in  Hagerstown,  Indiana.  His  dwelling 
was  a  one-room  house,  with  a  loft.  He  had  five 
small  children  playing  about  the  house ;  I  did  not 
examine  the  loft  to  see  if  there  were  any  more. 
Sister  Franklin  impressed  you  with  her  Christi- 
anity.   To  me,  it  looked  like  extreme  poverty,  yet 


REMINISCENCES   OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


79 


everything  was  cheerful,  and  Bro.  Ben  did  not 
slacken  his  labor  in  his  Master's  vineyard.  He 
was  an  animated  speaker ;  the  blood  would  rash  to 
his  face,  and  he  seemed  all  earnestness.  He  ought 
to  be  a  very  encouraging  example  for  young 
preachers.  With  a  very  limited  education,  not 
talented  by  any  means,  low  down  in  poverty's 
vale,  and  nothing  to  commend  him  to  the  work 
except  his  ever  abiding  earnestness,  and  his  never 
flagging  zeal,  by  an  unwavering  faith,  and  an  un- 
remitting application  to  the  word  of  God,  caused 
him  to  do  much  good. 

Brother  P.  S.  Fall  preached  for  a  longer  time.  I 
think  that  it  was  in  1820  when  he  obeyed  the  gos- 
pel, and  in  1822,  he  began  preaching.  He  organ- 
ized the  first  Christian  church  in  Louisville,  Ky. 
He  was  a  devoted  Christian,  a  fine  scholar,  and  a 
man  of  great  energy.  He  died  at  the  advanced 
ao-e  of  ninety-one.  But  we  lack  space  to  give 
mention  to  the  names  of  all  the  great  and  good 
men  in  the  Christian  church  at  that  early  day ;  we 
can  simply  record  the  names  of  a  few  of  them. 

If  I  had  the  naming  of  three,  of  modern  date, 
who  have  made  giant  tracks  on  the  sands  of  time, 
I  would  mention  Jacob  Creath,  John  W.  McGar- 


80 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


vey  and  Moses  E.  Lard.  For  passioiuite,  pathetic, 
and  logical  eloquence,  and  for  the  power  of  con- 
centration, I  doubt  if  Moses  E.  Lard  had  his  equal 
in  this  country;  and  McGarvey,  as  a  scholar,  a 
theologian  and  a  writer,  stands  preeminent.  His 
book  on  Palestine  is  without  an  equal,  and  will  re- 
main a  standard  work.  And  Elder  Creath  needs 
no  encomium  from  me ;  he  lives  in  the  hearts  of 
the  multitude  whom  he  has  been  the  means  of 
converting,  lie  occupies  a  warm  place  in  the  re- 
cesses of  the  hearts  of  the  Missourians. 

Knowles  Shaw  was  a  remarkable  young  man 
when  w^e  take  into  consideration  the  disadvantages 
he  labored  under.  liaised  in  the  dense  forest  of 
Rush  County,  Indiana,  with  a  very  limited  edu- 
cation, noted  only  as  a  fiddler,  he  would  go  for 
miles  to  play  for  a  dance.  While  playing  one 
night  for  a  party,  he  suddenly  ceased  playing,  and 
seemed  to  be  listening  as  though  he  heard  a  voice; 
he  then  said  :  "  Boys,  never  ask  me  to  play  again  ; 
I  intend  to  lead  a  diflerent  life."  On  the  fol- 
lowing Lord's  day  he  went  to  the  Flat  Rock  church, 
and  at  the  close  ot  a  sermon  by  George  Campbell, 
he  made  the  good  confession,  and  suddenly  like 
some  unlooked-for  comet  of  w^onderful  size,  flashing 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   REFORMATION. 


81 


J. 


I 


i 


for  a  moment  athwart  the  heavens,  and  then  as  sud- 
denly disappearing  forever,  so,  he  too,  darted 
from  the  lakes  to  the  gulf — from  Cliicago  to  New 
Orleans,  and  at  the  latter,  and  at  the  former  city, 
and  at  the  large  cities  on  the  way,  he  drew  larger 
audiences  than  had  any  preacher  of  any  denomin- 
ation. His  eccentricities,  and  the  wonderful  amount 
of  magnetism  he  possessed,  nuide  him  one  of  the 
most  popular  preachers  of  the  nineteenth  century. 
He  was  a  tine  musician,  sang  melodiously,  and  was 
proficient  as  an  organist :  of  commanding  appear- 
ance, six  feet  three  inches  tall,  a  flashing  eye  and  a 
musical  voice ;  at  times  he  became  truly  eloquent. 
He  was  a  close  student  of  the  New  Testament,  pos- 
sessing a  retentive  memory,  and  above  all,  his 
whole  soul  was  in  the  work — these  were  what  gave 
him  such  a  prestige,  and  riveted  his  arguments  on 
the  hearts  of  all  who  gave  him  a  hearing.  We  but 
seldom  see  such  a  man  when  we  consider  the  dis- 
advantages he  labored  under,  starting  with  but  a 
limited  education  from  the  common  rank  of  men. 
At  one  time  he  informed  the  writer  that  he  then  had 
more  than  one  hundred  letters  requesting  him  to 
hold  them  meetings.  He  preached  but  a  few  years ; 
he  was  killed  while  singmg  "Bringing  in  the 
6 


X 


I.  '  I 


82  BEMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 

Sheaves"  as  he  was  travelling  in  the  cars  in  Texas. 
])at  diirlug  the  few  years  that  he  was  among  us, 
more  than  ten  thousand  persons  obeyed  the  gospel 

under  his  preaching. 

William  Black  was  also  a  popular  revivalist,  par- 
ticularly among  the  women.     He  was  scrupulously 
iKuit  in  his  dress,  rather  fine  looking  and  popular 
iu  his  manners.     He  had  been  a  good  student,  and 
was  blessed  with  a  retentive  memory— could  read 
a  whole  sermon  and  repeat  it  almost  rcrkithn.    He 
was  a  good  scholar  and  a  fair  speaker,  though  not 
eloquent,   and  possessing  the  elements  to   a  very 
limited  extent,  that  nuikc  great  men,  except  that 
one  important  element,  called  industry.     His  torte 
consisted  in  having  short  and  popular  sermons, 
well  arranged  and  thoroughly   digested;   he  had 
enough  religion  to  make  him  popular.     Not  noted 
f„r  w^onderful  depth  or  for  remarkable  magnetism, 
yet  by  a  tenacity  of  purpose,  he  has  become  some- 
what noted  as  an  evangelist,  and  is  a  lesson  to 
youn^  preachers,  that  they  may,  without  possessing 
any  wonderful  amount  of  ability,  succeed  by  close 
application  and  perseverance  if  they  possess  popu- 
lar manners,  which  is  a  distinguishing  feature  in 
Brother  Black.     I  have  been  particular  in  trying 


REMINISCENCES   OF    TUE    KEFOllMATION. 


83 


<^ 


. 


to  describe  the  elements  and  traits  of  character  of 
Brother  Black,  as  I  have  every  Lord's  day,  for  two 
years,  listened  to  his  preaching.     And  hoping  that 
his  example  as  a  student  may  encourage  some  of 
our    young    preachers  to  study  to  show     them- 
selves workmen  that  "  need  not  to  be  ashamed." 
Brother  Thomas  Campbell  was  one  of  the  most 
innocent,  lovable  preachers;  his  son,  Alex,  one  with 
the  most  knowledge;  B.  W.  Stone,  one  of  the  most 
learned;  Henry  Pritchard,  one  of  the  tallest— six 
feet  and  four  inches;  B.  K.  Smith,  the  weightiest 
—275  to  300  pounds;  Miles  Dardin,  of  East  Ten- 
nessee, heaviest  deacon— 995  pounds ;  Isaac  Erret, 
the  finest  looking,  and  "Wm.  E.  Black,  the  dressiest 

evangelist. 

In  1832,  T.  M.  Allen  and  L.  J.  Eleming,  P.  S. 
Fall,  John  Rogers,  John  Smith,  John  T.  Johnson, 
F.  R.  Palmer,  P.  Batson,  J.  Irvin,  B.  W.  Stone, 
Luke  and  J.  J.  Moss,  and  many  others,  were  in  the 
interior  of  Kentucky,  earnestly  contending  for  the 
faith  delivered  to  the  apostles. 

Sometimes  we  see  the  same  trait  cropping  out  in 
famiUes.  Ben  Franklin  and  his  two  sons 
preachers,  William  Dowlin  his  father  and  brother 
preachers,     and     the     three     Sweeney     brothers 


I 


84 


BEMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS, 


preachers,  and  the  three  Blount  brothers  preach- 
ers, and  others  that  might  be  mentioned.     There 
were   able  men   connected  with  the   Butler   Uni- 
versity at  IndianapoliSo     0.  A.  Burgess,  E.  Good- 
win, A.  R.  Benton,  K.  P.  Brow^n,  William  Thrasher, 
these  have  all  been  presidents  of  that  institution, 
and  able  defenders  of  the  ancient  order  of  things. 
And  Butler  K.  Smith  who  weighed  two  hundred 
and  seventy-five    pounds    avoirdupois    and   three 
hundred  pounds   in   the  theological  scales,  at   an 
early  day  did  good  work  in  the  blacksmith  shop, 
and  hammering  out  sermons  on  the  anvil  of  truth. 
They  w^ere  full  length  and  good  in  quality.     But 
the  w^orld  has  become  a  shortener  of  sermons  and 
everything  else.     It  will  not  tackle  an  old  fash- 
ioned sermon;  the  world  w^ants  something  short 
that  can  be  taken  in  at  a   glance.     This  age  de- 
mands short  articles,  short  sermons,  and  in  fine,  short 
everything.     Who  now,  unless  it  is  some  old  crank 
thinks  of  reading  a  long  book  or  even  a  long  ser- 
mon.    It  was  at  one  day  common  for  boys  to  read 
Rollins,  J osephus,  Plutarch's  Lives,  Hume's  Eng- 
land, Gibbon's   Rome.     Well   it  is  said  that   the 
world  is  oscillating,  it  may  get  back  to  the  true 
meridian.     In  the  church  in    the  long  past  sixty 


A 


{ 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


85 


years  there  has  been  a  tendency  to  change.  The 
present  is  a  fast  age.  If  a  preacher  does  not  wish 
to  weary  his  audience,  and  render  himself  unpop- 
ular, he  should  not  preach  more  than  from  thirty 
to  thirty-five  minutes  at  a  time,  and  an  equal 
amount  of  time  might  be  devoted  to  the  praise 
service,  singing  and  praying.  And  then  too  a 
majority  of  persons  desire  the  sermon  to  be  flashy 
if  not  trashy.  A  dream  a  death-bed  scene.  Chris- 
tians murdered  in  China,  the  missions  in  Japan, 
concluding  w^ith  a  few  pointed  remarks  on  the 
development  theory  and  a  compliment  to  the  intel- 
lectual appearance  of  the  ^'ladies  and  gentlemen" 
present.  To  get  down  to  a  plain,  old  fashioned 
Christian  sermon,  to  prove  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
to  describe  his  suftering  for  sinners,  and  why  sin- 
ners should  obey  him,  and  then  pleading  as  though 
men's  lives  w^ere  at  stake  for  sinners  to  come  and 
confess  and  obey  him  before  it  is  forever  too  late, 
that  it  is  a  heinous  sin  to  refuse  to  obey  the  Lord 
when  an  opportunity  is  offered — such  a  sermon  is 
the  exception.  I  have  been  reading  the  sermons 
of  a  man  who  is  getting  forty  thousand  dollars  a 
year  for  preaching  the  gospel.  I  have  been  unable 
to  learn  from  these  sermons  what  is  meant  by  the 


86 


RExMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


gospel,  or  what  a  man  has  to  do  to  obey  the  gospel. 
If  he  has  in  tlie  last  twelve  moutlis  told  his  audience 
what  the  gospel  is,  my  mind  has  been  too  obtuse  to 
observe  it.  The  Lord's  injunction  is  "  go  preach 
the  gospel."  Is  he  a  faithful  servant  who  preaches 
and  yet  preaches  not  what  Christ  has  enjoined? 
Sixty  years  ago  a  sermon  w^as  from  one  to  two 
hours  in  length;  it  was  dry,  argumentative,  made 
up  of  facta :  the  death,  burial  and  resurrection  of 
Jesus  according  to  the  scriptures,  these  were  facts 
to  be  established.  It  was  not  opinions  or  theories 
that  men  then  established  but  facts,  and  the  Chris- 
tian gave  his  faith  in  facts.  Why  he  was  a  Chris- 
tian, dreams,  death-bed  scenes,  and  feelings  cut  no 
figure  in  the  program,  when  men  were  arguing 
of  temperance,  righteousness,  and  of  a  judgment  to 
come.  The  preachers  sixty  years  ago  seemed  to 
have  more  of  that  mysterious  principle  that 
attracts  men.  Whether  to  ascribe  it  to  their  being 
more  earnest,  or  to  a  natural  quality,  I  am  at  a 
loss,  but  we  have  all  seen  this  tendency  in  men,  to 
repel  or  attract.  One  man  would  make  an  expres- 
sion, and  a  stoic  would  declare  the  joke  laughable, 
another  man  might  make  the  same  expression  in 
the  same  tone,  and  not  a  smile  would  be  produced. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


87 


f 


Some  men  are  attractive  while  others  are  repul- 
sive.    Raccoon   John    Smith  would    come    down 
stairs  of  a  morning  and  say :  "  Sisters,  I  want  some 
water  to  wash."     "Brother  Smith,  there  is  a  bow^l 
and  water  in  your  room."     "  I  saw  a  little  dab, 
but  I  want  some  in  the  yard  w^here  I  can  splash." 
I  heard  the  remark  repeated  as  being  very  witty. 
Had  I  have  made  it  they  would  have  said  he  is 
becoming  demented.     At  the  table  he  picked  up  a 
glass  of  water,  and  said  "  Sister,  what  is  this  for? " 
"It  is  to  drink  water,  or  milk  out  of."     "Well! 
w^ell !  my  wife  has  bowls  that  wnll  hold  a  quart." 
I  heard  this  repeated  again  and  again  as  being 
quite  funny.     It    is    pretty  hard  to   discriminate 
where  the  wat-  comes  in,  yet  the  world  will  have  it 
so,  and  we  must  have  it.     In  short  his  droll  man- 
ner of  expression  made  everything  he  said  consid- 
ered witty.     Now  there  is  a  mysterious  something 
in  man— you  may   call   it  nervous  fluid,  positive 
electricity,  life,  or  w^hat  you   w^ill,  the  su<3cessful 
evangelist  has  always  a  large  stock  of  it  on  hand ; 
and  it  was  at  least  partly  owing  to  a  good  supply 
of  this  quality  that  gave  the  early  reformers  such 
an  influence.     I  heard  Senator  Reeves  say  that  he 
stood  bare-headed  in  the  sun  one  hot  summer  day, 


88 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


T^ 


and  heard  Alexander  Campbell  preach,  and  when 
he  closed  the  senator  said  that  he  felt  provoked, 
for  he  thought  that  Campbell  had  not  been  more 
than  fifteen  minutes  speaking,  but  when  he  looked 
at  his  watch  he  discovered  that  the  sermon  had 
lasted  for  three  hours.  Campbell  was  powerful  in 
argument,  but  there  was  something  in  addition 
that  claimed  the  audience  while  he  was  speaking. 
I  have  been  charmed  if  not  spell-bound  while  he 
was  speaking,  while  the  same  argument  from 
another  would  not  produce  a  like  effect. 

Another  evidence  of  our  tending  to  fickleness,  is 
oar  constant  changing  of  preachers;  about  every 
year  the  church  wants  to  make  a  change.  This  is 
not  universally  the  case,  but  it  is  the  rule.  It  was 
not  so,formerly.  John  T.  Johnson  preached  for  the 
same  church,  for  twenty  years.  And  Alexander 
Campbell  preached  for  the  same  church  for  over 
twenty  years,  and  Barton  W,  Stone  preached  for 
the  church  at  Cane  Ridge,  I  presume,  for  twenty- 
five  years.  And  Samuel  K  Houshour,  a  like  period, 
for  the  church  at  Cambridge,  Indiana.  My  brother, 
Ephraim  S.  Frazee,  preached  for  the  church  at 
Fayetteville,  Indiana,  for  forty-five  years,  and 
Jacob  Dauben spick,  for  the  church  at  Ben  Davis 


i 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE   REFORMATION. 


89 


Creek,  Indiana,  for  fifty  years.     But  it  is  not  so, 
now.      The  church   and   the   preacher  scarce  be- 
come acquainted  until  a  change  is  made,  unless  the 
preacher  is  fortunately  a  young  man  of  preposs- 
essing appearance,  or  if  he  be  a  married  man  with 
fine  looking  sons  and  daughters,  and  is  careful  to 
oftend   no   one.      And   by  the  way,  if  a  preacher 
wishes  to  be  popular,  he  must  look  well  never  to 
give  offence.     The  writer,  a  number  of  years  ago, 
by  an  invitation  from  the  elders,  went  to  a  church 
to  preach ;  before  he  ascended  the  pulpit,  an  elder 
whispered  to  him,  not  to  say  anything  on  a  certain 
subject,  as  it  might  oftend  some  persons  present, 
who  belonged  to  another  church.     I  said  to  the 
audience:     "I  am  requested  not  to  speak  on  a  cer- 
tain subject,  for  fear  of  giving  offence  to  some  one 
present;  would  it  not  be  better,  for  me  to  talk 
about  the   Mormons,   as  there  are  none  of  them 
present?" 

The  old  blunt  way  of  presenting  the  gospel,  and 
calling  things  by  their  proper  names,  has  become 
almost  obsolete.  Men  and  women  are  called  gentle- 
men and  ladies.  The  devil  is  called  the  adversary, 
and  hell  is  dubbed  the  home  of  the  wicked.  I  was 
told,  many  years  ago,  that  a  young  preacher  whis- 


90 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


pered  to  the  old  preacher,  that  General  Jackson 
was  present,  and  not  to  say  anything  that  would 
oftend  hira.      The   old  preacher,  in  a  stentorian 
voice,  exclaimed:     "General  Jackson,  he  will  go 
to  hell,  too,  unless  he  repents."     It  is  said  to  have 
pleased  the  old  general,  who  had  a  contempt  for 
sycophants.     The  great  effort  in  these  latter  days, 
is  to  obtain  large  and  fashionable  audiences,  when 
in  truth  there  is  more  religion  and  frequently  more 
good  done  in  a  country  school-house,  when  there 
is  a  small  audience,  than  there  is  in  the  crowded 
city  church.     I  think  that  it  was  in  1884  that  Cap- 
tain Foster,  who  has  a  large  ranch  twenty  miles 
north  of  San  Diego  City,  requested  me  to  preach 
at  his   school-house.     I  had  as  my  audience,  nine 
persons.     I  felt,  that  after  riding  twenty  miles,  it 
was  a  small  audience  to  preach  to.      Two  of  the 
nine.  Sister  Judson  and  one  other,  w^ere  members 
of  the  church.    I  had  left  seven  persons  to  work 
on.      At  the  close  of  my  sermon,  six  out  of  seven 
came  forward  and  made  the  good  confession,  and 
that  afternoon  I  buried  the  six  with  the  Lord,  in 
baptism. 

As  a  specimen  of  a  large  result  from  small  begin- 
ning:     In  DeKalb  County,  ludiana,  in    1846,  ^ 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


91 


man  that  was  intoxicated,  put  in  the  box  a  ballot 
that  he  had  cut  into  strips.  The  ballot  was  re- 
jected by  the  judges.  Each  candidate  from  that 
county,  claimed  his  seat  in  the  Legislature,  as  each 
had  an  equal  number  of  votes.  The  Legislature 
ordered  the  judges  of  the  election  in  DeKalb 
County,  to  count  the  drunken  man's  marred  bal- 
lot. This  gave  the  Democratic  candidate  a  ma- 
jority of  one.  He  found  an  equal  number  of  Whigs 
and  Democrats  in  the  Legislature.  They  had,  for 
two  or  three  weeks,  made  an  unsuccessful  effort  to 
elect  a  United  States  senator.  The  representa- 
tive from  DeKalb  County  gave  the  Democrats  one 
of  a  majority;  that  vote  elected  ll^ed  Ilannigan. 
When  he  went  to  Washington  City,  he  found  Con- 
gress locked.  They  had  been  trying  for  three 
weeks  to  annex  Texas  to  the  United  States.  But 
as  the  Whigs  and  Democrats  had  in  Congress  an 
equal  number  of  members,  and  as  the  Democrats 
voted  for  annexation,  and  the  Wliigs  against  it, 
there  was  nothing  done  until  N'ed  Hannigan 
arrived.  He  gave  the  Democrats  one  of  a  ma- 
jority. His  vote  annexed  Texas,  brought  on  the 
Mexican  war,  and  the  acquisition  of  California, 
Kew^   Mexico,  Arizona,   etc.       This    all    resulted 


X 


X 


92 


REMINISCENCES   OP   THE   REFORMATION. 


93 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


from  the   drunken  man's  vote  in  DeKalb  County. 

A  book  handed  to  Washington,  when  a  boy,  or 
even  a  casual  word  dropped  in  his  ear,  might  have 
caused  him  to  have  turned  to  literature  instead  of 
war,  and  we  might  have  from  that  circumstance 
lost  the  war  of  the  E evolution,  and  still  been   in 

bondage. 

In  1768,  Thomas  Jefferson  was  elected  to  repre- 
sent Albemarle  County  in  the  House  of  Burgesses, 
at  the  early  age  of  twenty-five.  The  night  prior 
to  a  discussion  of  a  very  important  bill,  which  was 
to  be  brought  before  the  House,  Patrick  Henry 
called  at  Mr.  Jefferson's  room,  and  told  him  that 
he  must  make  a  speech  on  the  bill.  Jefferson 
promised  to  make  his  maiden  speech  the  next  day. 
Henry  went  to  Mr.  Mcrser's  room  and  obtained  a 
like  promise  from  him.  Jefferson  and  Merser 
were  each  young  men  who  did  not  speak  in  public. 
Henry  advised  them  to  practice  beforehand.  He 
had  been  a  member  of  the  House  for  three  years, 
and  was  seven  years  older  than  Jefferson,  and 
observed  that  public  speaking  depended  alone  on 
practice.  Three  quarters  of  a  mile  west  of 
Williamsburg  was  a  fine  spring  of  water.  The 
next  morning  at  the  peep  of  day,  Jefferson  could 


ii 


have  been  seen  in  the  path  that  led  through  the 
forest  to  the  spring  Just  before  he  arrived  at  the 
spring,  he  saw  the  trunk  of  a  tree  lying  by  the 
path,  and  a  large  hollow  tree  just  beyond  it.  He 
mounted  the  log,  bowed  to  the  big  tree,  and  had 
scarcely  begun  his  speech,  when  he  heard  some  one 
coming  down  the  path,  and  hid  in  the  hollow  tree. 
It  was  Mr.  Merser,  who,  discovering  the  log, 
mounted  it  and  bowing  to  the  tree,  said  :  "  Mr. 
President,"  Mr.  Jefferson  answered:  "Mr.  Mer- 
ser;" they  had  a  laugh,  and  this  was  their  first 
and  last  speech. 

Thus,  two  able  men  who  might  have  been  useful 
orators  during  the  stormy  days  that  gave  birth  to 
American  independence,  had  their  oratory  nipped 
in  the  bud,  by  this  singular  coincidence. 

I  have  frequently  preached  in  the  city  to  large 
audiences,  and  as  a  rule  there  was  not  one  conver- 
sion or  one  addition  to  the  church.  Flattering 
remarks  would  be  made  about  the  charming  music, 
and  about  there  being  such  a  crowd,  but  little  or 
nothing  was  said  about  the  sermon. 

The  early  Christians  preached  from  house  to 
house,  they  never  became  weary  of  telling  the 
same  old  story,  and  they  never  ran  out  of  sermons? 


1 


94 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


The  amount  of  information  possessed  by  some  of 
those  early  Christians,  was  astonishing.  Go  read 
Campbell's  debates  with  Owen,  Purcell,  and  Rice ; 
then  read  the  thirty-nine  other  books  that  Camp- 
bell has  written,  and  you  may  well  wonder  how 
one  man  in  a  single  life-time,  could  gather  such  a 
vast  amount  of  information.  But  "there  is  no 
one  perfect,  no;  not  one. "  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac, 
Jacob,  Moses,  and  Job ;  they  all  sinned,  and  Stone 
and  Campbell  were  not  perfect. 

God  says,  look  to  Jesus;  he  is  the  only  model 
for  men  to  pattern  after.  Campbell  had  one 
failing,  and  had  a  man  ever  less?  If  ambition  is  a 
fault,  he  seemed  to  have  it.  In  1843,  when  he 
was  known  over  land  and  sea  as  the  intellectual 
giant  of  the  century,  Stone  was  very  popular  and 
may  have  stood  somewhat  in  the  way.  During  the 
fall  of  that  year,  in  a  speech  made  in  Lexington, 
Ky.,  one  of  the  most  polished  cities  in  the  Union, 
he  said :  "  I  cheerfully  say  I  do  not  approve  of  all 
that  Barton  W,  Stone  has  written  and  said,  yet  I 
believe  our  society  has  been,  and  is  pursuing  a 
most  salutary  and  redeeming  policy.  Whither  has 
fled  the  Newlightism  of  former  days.  How  long 
will  its  speculations  be  remembered,  that  floated 


X 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


95 


on  the  winds  of  thirty  years."     Presbyterians  and 
all  the  other  parties  in  the  field  could  not  dispose 
of  it  till  the  pleaders  for  the  reformation  arose  in 
the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land.     They  have 
indeed  disposed  of  it  in  such  a  way,  as  to  lead  the 
honest  and  candid  into  more  scriptural  and  consis- 
tent views  and  practices,  and  to  paralyze  and  sil- 
ence the  uncandid  declaimers  upon  the   specula- 
tions.   New  generations  will  now  grow  up  under 
new  influences.      The  offspring  of  those   persons 
propagating  erroneous  speculations  will  grow  up 
under  new  influences.     The  Bible  and  its  facts,  and 
new  associations,  will  make  of  them  a  new  people. 
They  will  rally  round  the  banners  of  the  original 
institutions  of  Christ.     They  will  place  themselves 
upon  the  naked  book  of  God  alone.     If  they  err 
and  do  wrong,  the  Bible  will  set  them  right  again. 
They  may  go  wrong  for  a  time  but  they  are  in  the 
safe  keeping  of  apostles   and  prophets   while   at 
school  with  the  Great  Teacher  and  the  holy  twelve. 
These  teachers,  should  they  err,  will  set  them  right 
again.      I  believe  we  have  done  a  good  work,  for 
which  even  the  Presbyterians  should  thank  us,  in 
removing  out  of  their  way  what  they  could  not, 
and  for  correcting  errors  growing  out  of  their  own 


96 


KEMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


97 


misinterpretations  of  the  Directory  of  God,  wliicL, 
with  all  their  learning,  ability  and  zeal,  they 
failed  to  vanquish."  When  reading  the  above 
from  A.  Campbell,  we  should  remember  that  Stone 
and  his  associates  would  acknowledge  no  other 
name  but  that  of  Christian,  that  they  were  through 
derision  by  their  enemies,  called  New  Lights,  in 
1804,  because  they  had  discovered  a  light  by 
which  they  could  be  govei'ned  without  a  creed. 
At  that  time,  A.  Campbell  was  eighteen  years  old. 
Seven  years  later,  in  1811,  Campbell  started  what 
he  called  the  Disciple  or  Reform  church,  called  by 
their  enemies,  "Water  Salvationists."  In  1832, 
Campbell  came  to  Kentucky,  gave  Stone  the  right 
hand  of  fellowship.  The  Disciples  assunjcd  the 
name  Christian  There  was  no  chancre  in  their 
views;  they  each  had  the  Bible  as  their  only  guide. 
The  two  streams  mingled  into  one  and  ran 
smoothly  and  harmoniously  along  without  a  ripple. 
Why  then,  after  the  lapse  of  many  years,  w^ould 
Brother  C.  go  out  of  his  way  to  kick  what  he 
called  the  New  Lights?  Had  Stone  said  anything 
about  the  Water  Salvationists?  Not  a  word,  but 
he  had  published,  '^The  world  owes  more  to  Alex- 
ander Campbell  for  establii^hing   primitive  Chris- 


i 


tianity,  than  to  any  other  man  living."  Jolm  T. 
Johnson  was  one  of  the  best  men  I  ever  knew ;  he 
was  a  convert  of  A.  Campbell.  Let  us  read  his 
letter  to  A.  Campbell. 

Georgetown,  Ky.,  July  8,  1814. 

Beloved  Brother  Campbell. 

Dear  Sir, — I  have  learned, 
within  a  few  days  past,  that  many  of  the  brethren 
in  various  parts  of  the  state,  are  much  grieved, 
because  in  their  judgment  of  the  great  injustice 
which  was  done  our  aged  and  venerable  brother 
Stone,  by  the  charges  and  imputations  of  Mr.  Rice 
as  they  appear  in  the  published  debate. 

This  unhappy  state  of  feeling  is  increased  by  the 
supposition  that  your  remarks  made  and  published 
on  the  last  proposition,  pages  864-65,  are  calculated 
to  make  an  improper  impression,  and  to  detract 
from  the  merit  of  those  (now  our  brethren  in  Ken- 
tucky,) who  were  formerly,  slanderously  styled 
New  Lights,  Arians,  Stoneites,  etc.,  etc.,  and  that 
in  publishing  in  the  third  number  of  the  Millemal 
Harbinger,  of  1844,  a  list  of  the  periodicals  en- 
gaged in  the  advocacy  of  i\\Q  Bible  alone,  to  the 
exclusion  of  all  human  creeds,  etc.,  the  Christian 
Messenger  seems  to  be  designedly  omitted. 
7 


98 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Couscious  as  I  am  that  Brotlier  Stone  as  a 
Christian  lias  your  conlidenee  and  attachment,  I 
the  more  readily  address  you. 

That  the  most  ample  justice  may  be  done,  it  is 
requested  that  you  publish  in  the  M'dlenial  Har- 
binger the  letter  of  Brother  A.  Kendrick  and 
Brother  Stone's  reply,  as  given  in  the  Christian 
Messenger  of  January  last,  on  page  261,  inasmuch 
as  your  paper  has  much  the  greater  circulation. 

A  few  words  more  before  I  close  this  epistle.  I 
was  one  of  the  actors  at  Lexington  when  the 
union  took  place,  so  far  as  one  was  effected,  be- 
tween Brother  Stone  and  those  friends  who  were 
identified  with  him  in  contending  for  primitive 
Christianity  as  set  forth  in  the  Bible  alone,  and 
those  friends  who  were  identified  with  you  in  the 
same  great  cause.  The  union  was  not  a  surrender 
of  one  or  the  other,  but  it  was  a  union  of  those 
who  recognized  each  other  as  Christians.  The 
union  was  based  upon  the  Bible  and  the  terms 
therein  contained  union  of  brethren  who  were 
contending  for  the  facts,  truths,  commands,  and 
promises,  as  set  forth  in  the  divinely  inspired 
record,  the  Bible  alone,  w^ith  the  express  under- 
standing that  opinions  and  speculations  were  pri- 


\k 


I 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION.  99 

« 

vate  property-uo  part  of  the  faith  delivered  to  the 
saints,  and    that  such   matters   should   never    be 
debated  to  the  annoyance  and  disturbance  of  the 
peace  and  harmony  of  the  brotherhood.     I  have 
mingled  much  with  those  brethren,  and  I  think  I 
can  truly  say  that  you  have  no  better  friends  on 
earth,  and   that  they  have  redeemed  the    pledge 
made  at  Lexington  as  faithfully  at  least  as  those 
with  whom  they  were  united-perhaps  to  the  letter. 
Many  of  them  do  honor  to  the  Christian  ministry, 
and    constitute  as   able,  intelligent,  learned    and 
pious  persons  as  any  engaged  in  this  reformation. 
Many  of  our  opponents  seem  to  derive  especial  pleas- 
ure in  misrepresenting  them,  and  to  esteem  it  a 
merit  to  denounce  old  Brother  Stone  while  their 
piety  and  goodness  in  comparison  with  his  would 
sink    into  insignificance    and    contempt.     I  have 
often  heard  him  preach  and  have  read  most  of  his 
writings,  and  in  my  judgment  he  neither  denies 
the  divinity  of  the   Savior  nor  the  virtue  of  the 
atonement  so  called.    I  have  heard  him  affirm  the 
divinity  of  the  Savior  as  well  as  the  obligation  to 
worship  him,  and  deny  the  charge  of  his  being  a 
created  being.    And  if  I  am  not^grossly  deceived, 
he  regards  the  virtue  of  the  death,  burial  and  res- 


100 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


urreetioii   of   Christ  as  essential  to  salvation — the 
sine  qua  non. 

Our  enemies  would  feast  with  delight  upon  any 
discord  or  internal  discussion  among  us.  But  I 
trust  in  God  that  no  such  disaster  will  ever  occur. 
We  are  upon  the  Rock  of  Ages  and  if  true  to  the 
cause  we  cannot  be  moved  by  all  the  tornadoes  of 
earth.  Faith,  yea,  unshaken  conlidence  in  Christ ; 
love,  yea,  unbounded  love  for  him;  and  obedi- 
ence, yea,  implicit  obedience  to  him,  will  insure  us 
a  safe  passport  into  the  haven  of  eternal  rest  and 
joy.  Most  affectionately  yours, 

J.  T.  Johnson. 

And  did  Brother  Campbell  retract?  No,  how 
could  he  ?  he  knew  not  that  word ;  but  he  soon 
learned  that  he  had  struck  with  that  large  hand  of 
his  a  vibrating  cord  that  had  sent  a  thrill  through- 
out the  Union.  B.  W.  Stone  at  that  time  was  sev- 
enty-one years  old,  minus  three  weeks,  and  for 
forty  years  he  had  been  embalmed  in  the  hearts  of 
the  best  people  in  America  as  the  great  leader  of 
the  reformation  of  the  nineteenth  century.  More 
than  forty  years  before  he  had  thrown  away  the 
"confession  of  faith"  and  alone  in  the  face  of  four 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION.  101 

hundred  and  fifty  thousand  creed    worshipers,  he 
stood  alone,  and  waged  a  war  against  all  human 
creeds.      He     soon     induced     five      Presbyterian 
preachers  to  rally  around  the  standard  that  he  had 
unfurled  to  the  world— ^^  The  Bible  alone  without 
note  or  comment."     But  in  a  few  months  four  out 
of  the  five  seemed  to  be  alarmed  at  what  seemed 
to  be  their  rash  act  and  abandoned  him   and  D. 
Purviance  to  face  the  great  army  alone.    No,  not 
alone,  for  one  man,  if  God  is  on  his  side,  is  with 
the  majority.     And  now  from  that  one  man,  when 
that  speech  was  made  in  Kentucky,  there  had  in 
that  State  alone  a  family  grown  up   around   old 
Brother  Stone,  of  twenty-seven  thousand   stronir. 
This  great  family  had  been  taken  back  to  Jeru- 
salem, and  were  seated  at  the  feet  of  Jesus  and 
were  learning  from  his  divine  lips  and  from  his  in- 
spired apostles.   It  is  not  strange  that  this  onslaught 
should  have  created  a  stir  among  his  boys  at  his 
home.      Indeed,   in   that   State,   the   church   was 
shocked  as  if  by  some  heavily  charged  battery.  But 
the    church   was   not   only    shocked,   but   deeply 
grieved,  but  it  was  not  so  with  this  writer.     It  has 
pleased  him  that  the  speech  was  made,  and  made 
where  it  was;  he  saw,  or  thought  he  saw  God's 


102 


KEMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


linger  in  the   move.       Good    often   results  from 
what  to  men,  seems  evil. 

A.  Campbell  and  B.  W.  Stone  were  becoming 
too  much  admired,  particularly  in  Kentucky.     By 
many  they  were  looked  upon  as  perfect  patterns. 
This  to  those  was  a  lesson  taught,  that  the  only 
model  is  away  beyond  them.     And  it  required  one 
of  these  giants  to   show  a  foult  in  the  other,  and 
the  showing  was  the  greater  fault  of  the  two.     But 
another  generation  has  sprung  up  since  those  days, 
and  now  no  evil  can  result  from  a  full-face  view  of 
the  good  that  the  Lord  brought  about  from  this 
seeming  evil.     At  the  time,  it  was  by  many  feared 
that  harm  would  result  to  the  church  from  those 
imprudent  remarks.     But  how  could  evil  come,  or 
the  church  become  unsettled,  as  it  was  founded  on 
the  Rock  of  Ages.     Stone  and  Campbell  with  all 
their  followers  of  that  day,  might  have  been  en- 
gulfed  in  the  stream  of  time,  without  producing  a 
ripple  in  the  quiet  flowing  current  of  the  church. 
To-day,  the  stream  is  increasing  in  volume  and 
strength,  fairer  than  the  moon,  brighter  than  the 
sun,  and  more  powerful  than  an  army  with  banners, 
and  will  continue  thus  to  march  until  the  last  human 
creed  is  buried  in  the  ocean  of  forgetful ness,  and  a 
family  that  no  man  can  number,  speaking  the  same 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION.  103 


Shibboleth,  using  only  Bible  language,  this  vast 
blood-washed  throng  seated  around  one  table,  com- 
memorating the  death,  burial  and  resurrection  of 
the  Son  of  God.  How  can  it  be  otherwise  ?  The 
Protestant  church,  at  least,  must  eventually  come 
back  to  the  fountain  head,  to  the  word,  to  the  pure 
river  of  the  water  of  life  that  flows  from  the 
throne  of  God.  The  church  must  finally  see  that 
all  humanisms  are  frail  reeds  to  lean  upon;  and  it 
is  to  be  hoped  that  they  will  move  their  edifices 
from  off*  the  sand  and  place  them  on  the  Rock, 
and  to  the  writer,  it  seems  that  this  is  now  the  ten- 
dency of  the  church,  and  may  God  speed  the  day. 
As  this  was  the  first  breeze  that  was  calculated 
to  disturb  the  church's  equilibrium  since  the 
union  of  the  friends  of  A.  Campbell  and  B.  W. 
Stone,  and  indeed  the  only  time  that  aught  but 
harmony  has  ever  been  seen  in  their  ranks,  I  have 
been  explicit  in  its  rehearsal.  It  was  a  few  days 
after  Brother  Johnson's  letter,  that  another  of 
more  authority  was  indited. 

Kentucky,  July  15,  1844. 
Brother  A.  Campbell, 

Dear  Sir, — Believing   that  great 
injustice  is  done  to  our  aged  and  pious  brother, 


104 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERxMONS. 


Elder  B.  W.  Stone,  by  the  uncontradicted  slanders 
of  Mr.   Rice,   as  they    appear   in    the    published 
"Debate,"  we  most  respectfully  request  that  you 
will  publish  in  the  Millennial  Harbinger,  at  as  early 
date  -as    possible.    Brother  A.   Kendrick's  letter 
and  Brother  Stone's  reply,  as  they  appear  in  the 
Chnstian  Messenger  oU ^nu^ry  l^^i,  beginning  on 
page  261.      Owing  to  the   comparatively   limited 
circulation  of  the  Christian  Messenger,  we  are  the 
more  anxious  for  their  re-publication  in  your  peri- 
odical, that  the  antidote  may  the  more  certainly 
go  with  the  poison,  both  now  and  in  the  future. 

In   connection  with  this  request,  permit   us   to 
say,  in  all  candor  and  affection,  that  we  regretted 
to  see  that  some  of  your  remarks  in  the  discussion 
of  the  last  proposition  with  Mr.  Rice,  as  published 
to  the  world,  are  calculated  to  produce  a  wrong 
impression    with    reference    to  those    (now   your 
brethren  in  Kentucky)  who  were  once    slander- 
ously styled  .Yew  Lights,  Arians,  Stoneites,  etc.,  see 
for  instance,  the  Debate,  pages  864-5.      Now,  as 
we  understand  this  matter  here,  where  the  union 
between  the  Reformers  and  the  Christians,  or  as 
they  were   invidiously   called    Campbcllites    and 
Stoneites,  first  commenced,  you  were  not  regarded 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    REFORMATION.  105 

as  saving  Brother  Stone  and  his  associates,  or  they 
as  saving  you  and  yours;  neither  considered  the 
speculations  of  the  other  as  of  a  damning  char- 
acter.    It  was  rather  an  equal,  a  mutual  and  noble 
resolve  for  the  sake  of  gospel  truth  and  union,  to 
meet  on  common,  on  holy  ground— the  Bible— to 
abstain  from  teaching  speculations  or  oi)inions,  to 
hold  such  as  private  property,  and  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel—to preach  the  word  of  God.    Neither  consider- 
ed the  other  as  holding  views  subversive  of  Christian 
faith  and  practice,  and  having  for  a  length  of  time 
previous,  advocated  the  same  great  principles,  the 
all-sufficiency  of  the  Bible  as  a  creed-book    and 
directory,  the  right  of  private  judgment  and  the 
necessity  of  implicit  faith  and  unreserved  obedience 
in  every  member  of  the  body,  how  could    they 
remain  divided  ?     It  was  not  your  joining  Brother 
Stone  as  a  leader,  or  his  joining  Brother  Campbell 
as  such,  but  all  rallying  in  the  spirit  of  gospel  truth, 
liberty,  and  love,  around  the  one  glorious  center  of 
attraction— Christ  Jesus— thus  out  of    the    two, 
making  one  new  body  (not  Campbellites  or  Stone- 
ites) but  the  church  of  Christ,  so  making  peace 
aiyl  long  may  it  continue  to  bless  our  land.     Amen. 


106 


REMINISCENCES   ANl)   SERiMONS. 


>  Evangelists. 


Elders 
y    and 
Deacons. 


Jolm  Rogers, 

S.  G.  Marshall, 

W.  Morrow, 

John  A.  Gano, 

George  Williams— An  Elder. 

Joseph  Wasson, 

James  A.  McIIatton, 

James  McMillin, 

Paschal  Kirtley, 

T.  II.  Stout, 

James  Aunett, 

John  D.  Ward, 

Lewis  Coppage, 

Did  Brother  Campbell  ever  pul)!ish  the  letter  of 
Brother  Stone's  on  the  Trinity,  as  he  was  requested 
by  these  brethren?  I  think  so.  Did  he  retract 
that  part  of  the  Lexington  speech  that  gave 
ofience?  Xo,  he  had  nothing  to  retract.  It  was 
thought  by  some,  that  he  had  only  given  to 
Brother  Stone  a  gentle  reminder  that  he  might  be 
advancing  up  the  tottering  ladder  of  fame,  too 
rapidly. 

There  was  one  trait  of  cliaracter  in  which  A. 
Campbell  and  P>.  \V.  ;^innc  differed,  as  widely  as 
the  poles.     The  former  deliglited  in  the  forum,  he 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    KEFOR?.IATION.  107 

was    like   the    petrel  :    old   sailors   say   that  bird 
is   always  found  in  the  storm,  so  the  old  bishop 
was  always  in  warpaint  with  a  chip  on  each  shoul- 
der,  and  his  tomahawk  had  a  keener  edge,  and  ho 
used    it  with  more  skill,  than  any  ehief  in   the 
nation.     He  was  always  ready  for  a  debate.     Xot 
so  with  B.  W.  Stone.     He  shrank  from  everything 
like  discussion,  not  from  inability,  nor  from  a  want 
of  self-reliance,  but  from  a  perfect  dread  of  wound- 
ing somebody's  feelings.    The  only  thing  like  a  dis- 
cussion I  ever  knew  him  to  have  was  when,  at  Broth- 
er Campbell's  request  in  1839,  he  wrote  a  few^  arti- 
cles  on  sin  ofterings,  Le.on  Unitarianism  and  Trini- 
tarianism.      They  discussed  these  questions,   and 
they    each  concluded  that  there  are  three  divine 
beings,  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit- 
Creator,  Provider  and  Enlightener,  and  if  I  rem- 
ember correctly,  their  discussion  was  like  the  old 
darkey's,  who  said,  the  hardest  discussion  he  ever 
had  in  his  life,  was  with  his  old  master:     "  He  said 
that  taters  growed  best  on  black  ground  and  I  said 
so  too,  and  we  discussed  that  question  half  a  day." 
Brothers  Campbell  and  Stone  differed  very  little. 
No  giant  in  Gulliver's  times  ever  made  such  a 
stride  as  B.  W.  Stone  when  he  wrote  in  the  church 


i 

.1 


108 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE   REFORMATION. 


109 


at  Cane  Ridge:  ^' The  Bible  without  note  or  com- 
ment." A.  Campbell,  seven  yeaivs  later,  made  a 
stride  like  unto  Stone's.  He  wrote:  1.  ^<The 
Bible  w^ithout  note  or  comment."  2.  <' Where 
that  is  silent,  we  are  silent." 

But   the   last   funeral  note  over  the   grave  of 
the     old     hero,    had     scarcely    died    away    until 
the  grand  ship  of  church  had    drifted   from  her 
second    mooring;    then  I  heard  the  lesser  giants 
from  Xew  York  to  California,  from  St.  Louis  to 
Lexington,    and   from    Lexington    to    Nashville, 
tooting  their  little  horns  of  alarm,  whUe  the  boys 
at  the  helm  are  smiling  at  the  danger;  the  grand 
ship  under  full  sail  rides  the  breakers  magnificently, 
and    it  will  require  the  clarion    notes  of  another 
Warwick,  before  the  pilot  will  heed  the  w\nrning. 
See  how  she  plows  the  deep!     What  poetry  is  in 
her  motion  as  she  rides  the  wave  like  the  stormy 
petrel.     What   a   huge  bark!     IIow^   our    hearts 
swelled  with  pride  when  we  were  told  that  she  now 
carried  a  tonnage  of  eight  hundred  thousand  val- 
iant soldiers  in  this  ship  of  Israel  alone.     Let  us 
l)ray  that  the  vanity  in  demonstrating  her  capacity 
may  not  prove  an  ill  omen,  as  it  did  to  the  sweet 
singer  of  Israel,  when  he  forced  Joab  to  number 


his  mighty  army  of  eight  hundred  thousand  val- 
iant men  in  Israel  alone. 

While  the  old  men  are  crying  "Beware,"  the  boys 
in  the  look-out  are  shouting  to  the  helmsman,  "  Let 
her  sail,"  and  she  is  sailing  grandly,  but  wiiither 
time  alone  can  demonstrate.  Let  us,  while  she 
glides  down  the  rapids,  let  us  hope  and  pray  that 
she  may  escape  the  maelstrom.  Watchman,  tell 
us  of  the  night  what  the  signs  of  promise  are. 
''There's  a  divinity  that  shapes  our  ends,  rough 
hew  them  how  we  will,"  with  churches  as  well 
as  individuals.  And  judging  alone  from  the  past, 
it  seems  as  though  God  directs  the  barque. 

In  1838  and  '39,  I  attended  Bacon  College  in 
Georgetown,  Kentucky.  David  Burnett,  the 
thorough  scholar  and  polished  orator,  was  its  presi- 
dent; and  John  T.  Johnson,  the  evangelist,  a  trus- 
tee. At  this  time,  the  battle  was  raging ;  a  con- 
stant sheet  of  fire  w^as  kept  up  all  along  the  line; 
Jasper  J.  Moss,  John  O'Kane,  John  T.  Brooks, 
Thomas  Smith,  John  Rogers,  E.  C.  Ricketts,  B.  F. 
Hall,  A.  Rains,  J.  A.  Gano,  J.  T.  Johnson,  John 
T.  Allen,  David  Burnett,  Raccoon  John  Smith, 
and  many  others  too  tedious  to  mention,  made  it 
uncomfortably  w^arm  for  the  enemy.      These  old 


110 


EEMINISOENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


fathers    were   very  jealous  of   rosolutiona;    they 
Wiiuted  no  rivalship  with  the  word  of  God,  and 
were  suspicious    about    adopting    any    resohition. 
One  of  their  hobbies,  if  1  may  call  it  a  hobby,  was, 
"^Vhore  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  arc  silent."     They 
had  caught  the  watchword  from  Brother  A.  Camp- 
bell, and  he  had  taken  it  from  his  father.     When 
a  great  truth  is  once  uttered,  to  stop  the   effects 
would  be  like  damming  the  Sacramento  with  the 
flags  that  line  its  banks.     I  verily  believe  that  if 
Brother  Scott  could  have  induced  A.  Campbell  and 
B.  W.  Stone  and  old  father  Thomas  Campbell  to 
have  united  with  him  in  offering  something  upon 
which   the  scripture  was  silent,  they  would  liave 
been    run  over  and  crushed  beneath  the   mighty 
avalanche.      In  season  and  out  of  season,  it  was 
proclaimed  from  every  pulpit,  from  Bethany  to  the 
north  fork  of  Licking,  "Where  the  scriptures  are 
sdent  we  are  silent."     Our  fathers  were  so  fearful 
of  innovations  that  when  Brother  Campbell  pub- 
lished the  "  Christian  System,"  the  book  met  with 
a  cold  reception  from  many  of  our  leading  mem- 
bers,   and   even  the  non-combative   Stone   urged 
objections  to  it.     Lately  coming  out  from  the  sects, 
they  were  very  fearful  something  would  be   intro- 


i 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE   REFORMATION  111 

duced  without  "A  thus  saith  the  Lord,"  for  it.  The 
writer  remembers  when,  at  an  early  day,  it  was 
attempted  to  send  out  a  synopsis,  or  more  properly 
speaking,  an  epitome  of  our  belief,  but  the  little 
thing  was  stillborn.  Our  fathers  shunned  every- 
thing like  a  creed,  or  an  innovation,  much  as  a 
burnt  child  shuns  the  fire,  and  all  attempts  to  intro- 
duce into  the  church,  anything  not  mentioned 
and  approved  by  the  apostles,  was  sure  to  die. 

Scott,  the  eloquent  and  able  preacher,  the  popu- 
lar author,  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  church,  was 
(probably)  only  surpassed  by  Brothers  Stone  and 
Campbell.  With  such  a  reputation,  he  gave  great 
weight  to  the  resolution.  So  much  so,  that  they 
all  hesitated  to  express  an  opinion  adverse  to  the 
resolution;  even  the  bold  and  intrepid  Johnson 
halted.  Raccoon  John  Smith,  the  embodiment  of 
droll  wit,  with  limited  education,  and  yet  an  over- 
match for  the  best  of  them,  perched  upon  the 
granite  cliff",  was  always  ready  to  swoop  down  upon 
the  prey.  Unpolished,  he  knew  of  but  one  volume, 
the  book  of  books,  iSTature  was  his  tutor.  He  was 
one  of  the  wonderful  men,  of  that  wonderful  age  of 
giants.  Among  men,  he  was  as  a  huge  alabaster 
mountain  that  had  been  torn  asunder  by  some  con- 


no 


RExMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES    OF   THE    REFORMATION 


111 


fathers  were  very  jealous  of  resolutions;  they 
wanted  no  rlvalship  with  the  word  of  God,  and 
were  suspicious  about  adopting  any  resolution. 
One  of  their  hobbies,  if  I  may  call  it  a  hobby,  was, 
"  Where  the  Bible  is  silent,  we  are  silent."  They 
had  caught  the  watchword  from  Brother  A.  Camp- 
bell, and  he  had  taken  it  from  his  father.  When 
a  great  truth  is  once  uttered,  to  stop  the  effects 
would  be  like  damming  the  Sacramento  with  the 
flags  that  line  its  banks.  I  verily  believe  that  if 
Brother  Scott  could  have  induced  A.  Campbell  and 
B.  W.  Stone  and  old  father  Thomas  Campbell  to 
have  united  with  him  in  offering  something  upon 
which  the  scripture  was  silent,  they  would  have 
been  run  over  and  crushed  beneath  the  mighty 
avalanche.  In  season  and  out  of  season,  it  was 
proclaimed  from  every  pulpit,  from  Bethany  to  the 
north  fork  of  Licking,  ''Where  the  scriptures  are 
silent  we  are  silent."  Our  fathers  were  so  fearful 
of  innovations  that  when  Brother  Campbell  pub- 
lished the  "  Christian  System,"  the  book  met  with 
a  cold  reception  from  many  of  our  leading  mem- 
bers, and  even  the  non-combative  Stone  urged 
objections  to  it.  Lately  coming  out  from  the  sects, 
they  were  very  fearful  something  would  be   intro- 


duced without  "A  thus  saith  the  Lord,"  for  it.  The 
writer  remembers  when,  at  an  early  day,  it  was 
attempted  to  send  out  a  synopsis,  or  more  properly 
speaking,  an  epitome  of  our  belief,  but  the  little 
thing  was  stillborn.  Our  fathers  shunned  every- 
thing like  a  creed,  or  an  innovation,  much  as  a 
burnt  child  shuns  the  fire,  and  all  attempts  to  intro- 
duce into  the  church,  anything  not  mentioned 
and  approved  by  the  apostles,  was  sure  to  die. 

Scott,  the  eloquent  and  able  preacher,  the  popu- 
lar author,  and  in  the  estimation  of  the  church,  was 
(probabl}')  only  surpassed  by  Brothers  Stone  and 
Campbell.  With  such  a  reputation,  he  gave  great 
weight  to  the  resolution.  So  much  so,  that  they 
all  hesitated  to  express  an  opinion  adverse  to  the 
resolution ;  even  the  bold  and  intrepid  Johnson 
halted.  Raccoon  John  Smith,  the  embodiment  of 
droll  wit,  w^ith  limited  education,  and  yet  an  over- 
match for  the  best  of  them,  perched  upon  the 
granite  clifl",  was  always  ready  to  swoop  down  upon 
the  prey.  Unpolished,  he  knew  of  but  one  volume, 
the  book  of  books,  JTature  was  his  tutor.  He  was 
one  of  the  wonderful  men,  of  that  wonderful  age  of 
giants.  Among  men,  he  was  as  a  huge  alabaster 
mountain  that  had  been  torn  asunder  by  some  con- 


112 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


vulsion  of  nature,  too  liirge  for  the  sculptor's  puny 
tools  to  operate  upon,  yet  more  grand  and  beauti- 
ful than  though  polished  by  the  tinest  artist.  Mis- 
chief twinkled  in  his  eye  as  he  broke  silence.  "I 
am  ignorant,  I  am  very  ignorant,  and  my  wife  is 
io-norant  too.  When  we  were  married  and  our 
first  baby  was  born,  w^e  were  so  ignorant  that  we 
did  not  know  that  w-e  had  to  call  it  Smith ;  we 
thought  everybody  would  know  that  it  was  a 
Smith."  Tliis  was  not  a  piece,  but  an  entire  mill- 
stone cast  from  the  wall,  and  crushed  the  skull  of 
the  resolution  that  the  name  Christian  is  conferred 
by  the  elders  after  baptism. 


CHAPTER  V. 


A.  Tampiiell 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORxMATION    OF    THE    NINE- 
TEENTH CENTURY. 

TAKE  them  all  in  all,  and  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury has  not  seen  the  equals  of  B.  W.  Stone 
and  A.  Caniphell.  They  had  their  superiors  in 
certain  directions.  John  T.  Johnson  possessed 
more  zeal  than  either  of  them,  llaccoon  John 
Smith  was  their  superior  in  wit;  and  in  the  forum, 
at  Beard's  hatters  shop,  or  at  Dobson's  cross  roads; 
and  in  my  judgment,  Moses  E.  Lard  surpassed 
either  in  passionate  and  pathetic  appeals  to  the 
mass,  and  was  the  peer  of  either,  in  logical  elo- 
quence and  the  po\ver  of  concentration;  while 
Samuel  K.  Houshour  excelled  either  of  them  as 
a  linguist,  not  merely  in  a  knowledge  of  Hebrew, 
Greek,or  Latin,  but  in  his  familiarity  with  many 
languages.  Yet,  take  them  up  one  side  and  down 
the  other,  and  they  stood  head  and  shoulders 
above  other  men. 

From    Campbell's  debate  with  Owen,  in    1828, 
until  long  after  his  debate  with  Rice,  in  1843,  he 
^  8  (113) 


^^ 


114 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


REMINISCENCES   OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


115 


stands  like  the  great  Egyptian  pyramid.     His  vast 
reservoir    of  knowledge    is    perfectly    wonderful. 
He  was  a  giant  at  every  point  of  the   compass. 
When   we  look  back  through  the  ages  that  have 
passed  and  gone,  and  see  that  every  century  has 
been  noted  for  God  raising  up  in  it  to  accomplish 
some  great  object,  a  pair  of  men   adapted  to  the 
work,  as  in  the   sixteenth  century  he  raised   up 
Luther    and  Calvin;  in  the  seventeenth    century, 
John   Locke  and  John  Milton;  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  George  Whitlield  and  John  Wesley.     As 
a  greater  reformation  was  to  be  set  in  motion  in 
the  nineteenth  century,  larger  material  appeared 
in  B.  W.  Stone  and  A.  Campbell.     Yet  they,  like 
all  other  men,  had  their  vulnerable  points.      The 
gospel    does  not  change  men's  dispositions,    but 
only   turns  their  talent  into  other   channels;   the 
brave  man  remains  brave,  the  timid  man  remains 
timid,  the  cheerful  man  that  looks  at  the  bright 
side  of  everytliing,  carries  his  sunshine  into  the 
church,  while  the  sedate  man  carries  his  serious- 
ness along  with  him.     Stone's  weakness  was  in  this 
channel;  he  was  too  much  inclined  to  be  sad,  too 
timid.       He  lacked  combativeness;  this  gave  his 
mind  a  gloomy  cast.     Apprehensive  of  the  future. 


he  possessed  working  faith,  was  a  Greek  and 
Latin  scholar,  and  was  one  of  the  humblest  and 
purest  men  living,  yet  he  ever  saw  clouds  in  the 
horizon.  This  natural  tendency  of  his  mind,  ren- 
dered him  more  or  less  unhapp}^,  and  destroyed 
that  cheerfulness  that  belonged  naturally  to 
Brother  A.  Campbell.  It  would  have  been  as  re- 
freshing as  a  July  shower,  to  have  heard  Brother 
Stone  give  a  hearty,  school-boy  laugh.  In  this  re- 
spect Campbell  excelled  him,  for  he  was  brimfuU 
of  life  and  cheerfulness.  He  insi)ired  evervone 
about  him,  and  impressed  you  with  your  good 
qualities.  He  seemed  not  to  have  a  shadow  of  a 
doubt  about  his  future  destiny,  and  if  you  were  a 
Christian,  his  bright  face  and  encouraging  words 
would  be  inclined  to  inspire  you  with  a  like  faith. 
His  whole  thoughts  seemed  to  be  monopolized 
with  the  means  to  accomplish  good,  but  in  this, 
Stone  was  not  inferior  to  him.  Brother  C's.  weak- 
ness was  in  his  ambition ;  he  could  not  brook  the 
idea  of  having  a  rival ;  he  would  rather  have  heen 
the  first  man  in  a  village,  tlian  the  second  man  in 
a  city.  He  was  not  in  the  habit  of  telling  anec- 
dotes, yet  he  inherited  Irish  wit  and  a  love  for  wit, 
and  jcould  take  a  good  laugh  over  a  good  anecdote. 


116 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


Brother  C.  was  very  regulur  in  liis  habits ;  he  gave 
himself  eight  hours  for  sleep ;  he  retired  at  ten,  and 
arose  at  six.  He  read  a  lesson  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment and  commented  on  it  before  prayer  in  the 
morning,  and  after  prayer,  a  lesson  in  the  Old  Tes- 
tament. He  had  prayer  at  night,  but  no  family 
reading.  In  the  morning  lesson,  each  of  his  family 
read  a  verse  in  turn.  When  at  home  on  Lord's 
day  he  always  preached,  but  vv^as  necessarily  away 
much  of  the  time  during  Lord's  days,  and  most 
of  the  time  during  vacation.  In  preaching  at 
home  he  usually  read  a  lesson  from  the  Old  Tes- 
tament, from  the  Psalms  or  the  Prophets,  as  an  in- 
troductory lesson,  and  made  comments  upon  it, 
and  then  usually  took  a  subject  for  his  discourse, 
from  the  Nevv^  Testament.  He  was  always  cheer- 
ful and  met  yon  with  a  smile  and  a  hearty  greeting. 
lie  was  always  ready  in  conversation,  and  always 
instructive.  liVhen  he  indulged  in  an  anecdote  to 
illustrate  his  subject,  it  was  related  in  a  happy 
manner.  He  has  been  represented  as  a  money- 
lover,  as  covetous; — it  is  a  slander;  he  was  a 
stranger  to  it.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  he  had 
too  much  mental  work  to  do,  and  frequently  did 
not  take  his  allotted  hours  for  rest  and  sleep,  es- 


REMINISCENCES    OF    THE    REFORMATION. 


117 


pecially  during  the  sessions  of  the  college;  as  a  re- 
sult, he  died  too  soon.  Ilis  mental  faculties  gave 
way  from  over-work;  with  his  constitution,  lie 
ought  to  have  lived  to  be  ninety -five  or  a  hundred 
years  old.  His  father  lived  to  be  ninety-one ;  Alex- 
a-ider  ought  to  have  lived  ten  years  longer.  His 
invariable  custom  was  to  contribute  one  dollar 
when  the  basket  passed  around  for  the  regular  Sun- 
day collection.  During  his  entire  life  he  never  re- 
ceived any  pay  for  his  preaching  except  his  travel- 
ling expenses. 

Although  he  received  large  sums  ot  money,  it 
was  invariably  and  conscientiously  turned  over  to 
the  college  or  the  missionary  society.  He  gave 
his  life  to  the  church  and  college,  without  pay. 
Do  you  ask?  how  then  did  he  become  rich?  partly 
by  the  rise  in  property.  He  bought  a  large  body 
of  land  when  it  cost  T'ut  little;  it  rapidly  enhanced 
in  value;  and  from  money  that  he  had  wisely  in- 
vested, that  he  had  obtained  from  his  publications, 
and  from  his  sheep — he  kept  a  large  band  of 
sheep. 

One  day  while  in  conversation  about  the  college, 
he  said  that  he  intended  to  leave  to  the  college, 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  in  addition  to  Avhat  he 


118 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


had  given.  The  college  got  only  tQW  thousand 
by  his  will,  but  that  will  was  made  after  slow  de- 
clining years  had  commenced.  I  spoke  of  Brother 
Campbell's  days  being  after  1828,  yet  the  Christian 
Baptist  was  published  anterior  to  that  time,  and  it 
contains  his  best  thoughts,  but  in  reading  his 
books,  the  best  is  always  the  last  one  read.  But 
after  he  published  the  ''Christian  System"  our 
opposers  from  Maine  to  Georgia,  sounded  it  on 
every  note  of  the  gamut — "  The  Campbellites  have 
a  creed."  It  made  no  difference  how^  oft  you  con- 
tradicted it,  the  cry  was  not  abated,  and  some  of 
our  brethren  got  very  sore  on  the  subject.  A  lu- 
dicrous scene  occurred  a  while  after  the  book  was 
published;  the  Methodists  had  a  big  meetino-  in 
the  grove  adjoining  Indianapolis.  The  "Wild 
Irishman,"  as  he  was  called.  Col.  McMullen,  was 
the  speaker.  It  was  claimed  that  there  were  fif- 
teen hundred  people  in  attendance.  The  colonel, 
with  quite  a  flourish,  drew  from  his  pocket  a  copy 
of  the  "Christian  System,"  and  in  a  very  egotisti- 
cal manner,  said:  "The  Campbellites  pretend 
that  they  haven't  any  creed,  but  I  got  one  of  their 
creeds,  and  here  it  is."  Old  Brother  John  ISTew^, 
the  father  of  our  subsequent  United  States  treas- 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE    REFORMATION. 


119 


urer,  rose  up  from  the  back  of  the  audience,  and 
in  a  loud  voice  exclaimed,  "  The  devil  never  utter- 
ed a  bigger  lie.  I  have  organized  more  than  thirty 
churches,  and  never  had  one  ot  those  books  in  my 
life."  The  colonel  was  nonplussed  ;  he  hadn't  ex- 
pected it.  He  hesitated,  then  said :  "  Well,  if 
they  want  to  deny  it,  let  them  deny  it? " 

For  some  time  after  the  reformation  was  started, 
the  men  occupied  one  side  of  the  house,  and  the 
women  the  other.    N'o  family  pews. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth  century,  the 
speakers  poured  forth  a  stream  of  thrilling  elo- 
quence that  astonished  the  country.  The  pungent 
addresses  and  writings  of  those  who  opposed 
human  creeds,  sounded  through  the  land,  and  from 
their  very  earnestness,  compelled  an  audience;  the 
question  under  discussion  was  the  only  one  kept  be- 
fore the  people ;  the  reformers  ot  those  days,  knew 
nothing  but  Christ  Jesus  and  him  crucified;  self 
was  hidden  behind  the  cross  and  was  never  referred 
to.  The  religious  literature  of  the  latter  half  of  the 
nineteenth  century,  differs  thusly  from  that  of  the 
beginning  of  the  century;  in  these  latter  days  the 
speaker  or  writer  keeps  self  before  the  people,  and 
nien'^  ride  into  notoriety  on  subjects  foreign  to  the 


120 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


gospel.  From  the  city  cushioned  pulpit,  to  the 
log  school-house,  the  effort  is  to  show  iu  boister- 
ous declamation,  how  much  knowledge  is  contain- 
ed in  one  small  head— the  subject  is  hid  behind  the 
speaker.  This  distinction  is  not  confined  to  Chris- 
tian  speakers;  you  can  see  it  cropping  out  in  all 
the  denominations,  from  Talmage  to  Sam  Jones, 
from  the  top  to  the  bottom  round  of  oratory.  As  a 
rule  it  is  the  speaker  first,  the  subject  last  and 
least.  The  horse  and  cart  both  are  there;  what 
matters  it  if  the  horse  is  before  the  cart. 

"^Vith  men  ot  seventy  years  ago,  as  Campbell, 
Stone,  Purviance,  Scott,  Smith,  Johnson,  Kogers, 
Gano,  P.  S.  Fall,  and  others,  to  think  of  these  men 
screaming  as  though  their  auditors  were  deaf,  or 
preaching  sensational  sermons,  or  referring  to  self, 
or  making  a  display  of  learning,  would  never  enter 
into  the  mind.  In  this  respect  the  soUdisant  giants 
of  the  present  day  difter  toto  coelo;  those  were  little 
great  men,  these  are  great  little  men.  There  are 
noble  exceptions  to  this  rule.  But  if  there  is  a 
man  living  who  can  fill  the  place  of  the  reformers 
above  mentioned,  I  know  him  not.  Ifow  this  may 
be  considered  a  severe  criticism  as  we  have  an  army 
of  men  who  could,  or  think  they  could  improve  on 


REMINISCENCES   OF   THE    REFOllMATION. 


101 

J.  «^ ... 


those  old  fogies.  The  advanced  criticism  of  the 
day  has  left  Peter  and  Paul  in  the  fog.  Even  now 
— A.  D.  1891 — in  the  full  light  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury, the  writer  was  at  a  protracted  meeting  where 
sinners  were  called  to  the  mourner's  bench.  In  the 
ignoranceand  innocenceof  hisheart,  heinquired  of 
the  chief  speaker :  "  Where  do  the  scriptures  speak 
of  the  mourner's  bench  ?"  The  preacher  got  angry, 
and  his  audience  caught  the  fury  from  him.  Men 
will  reason  on  almost  every  other  subject  except  re- 
ligion. The  speaker  said :  "  All  the  sinner  has  to 
do,  is  to  believe."  I  inquired,  "Where  do  the 
scriptures  teach  that?  we  have  eleven  or  twelve 
cases  given  in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  and  in 
every  one  the  sinner  had  to  believe,  repent,  and  be 
baptized,  before  he  was  pardoned."  The  meeting 
broke  up  in  an  unhealthy  state  of  excitement,  and 
why  it  should,  I  am  unable  to  say,  as  I  did  not 
wish  to  create  any  disturbance,  but  only  wished  to 
elicit  truth. 


CHAPTER  Vl. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 

1  PRESUME  it  would  be  difficult  if  not  impossible, 
to  estimate  the  full  force  and  eftects  of  the  re- 
formatory movement  of  the  nineteenth  century,  for 
in  doing  so,  we  would  have  to  view  it  from  two 
distinct  standpoints;  first,  its  effects  in  buildino-  up 
a  large  organization  or  brotlierhood  known  as  tlic 
Christian  church,  and  secondly,  its  influence  in 
modifying  the  general  current  of  religious  thought 
and  practice  then  existing  in  the  various  denomin- 
ations of  this  country.  At  the  commencement  of 
this  great  movement,  its  advocates  were  few,  with 
comparatively  little  influence  and  less  wealth,  with 
no  church  property,  no  schools,  colleges  or  univer- 
sities; it  can  to-day  boast  of  something  like  a  mil- 
lion of  actual  communicants  scattered  over  the  va- 
rious states  and  territories  of  the  United  States 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  ,over  England,  Ire- 
land, Scotland  and  Wales,  and  even  over  far  oif 
New   Zealand   and   Australia.     Schools,   colleires, 

male  and  female  universities,  have  been  established 
(122)  ' 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


123 


and  are  now  exerting  their  influence  in  molding 
religious  thought.  The  success  of  the  reformatory 
movement  in  this  direction  has  been  truly  phe- 
nomenal. 

The  influence  exerted  upon  the  various  religious 
denominations  of  this  country  in  modifying  their 
views  and  practices  has  in  some  instances  been  un- 
mistakable and  very  marked.  This  is  especially  the 
case  in  weakening  the  influence  of  creeds  and  con- 
fessions, of  nullifying  human  authority  and  getting 
nearer  back  to  the  Bible  alone  as  authority  in  the 
church  of  God.  It  is  true  that  human  machinery 
is  still  relied  upon  as  an  aid  in  the  work  and  wor- 
ship, but  in  many  cases  it  is  working  so  feebly,  its 
eftects  are  scarcely  felt.  Take  for  example  the 
practice  of  infant  sprinkling.  This  has  fallen  into 
such  neglect  among  our  Methodist  friends  as  to 
call  forth  comments  from  their  own  press  and 
preachers,  yet  the  practice  seems  to  be  on  the  wane, 
and  from  present  indications  seems  destined  to  go. 
A  long  Christian  experience,  as  a  preliminary  to 
entering  the  church,  while  still  sometimes  tolerated 
is  not  now  considered  essential.  While  the  old 
Calvinistic  view  of  election,  once  so  universally  re- 
ceived "by    Presbyterians,  is  now  so  modified  and 


124 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


changed  in  the  minds  of  the  people,  that  there 
seems  to  be  but  little  doubt,  that  it,  with  the  kin- 
dred subjects,  will  lead  to  a  change  in  the  organic 
law  of  that  church.  That  faith  comes  by  hearing 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  instead  of  through  miracu- 
lous interposition  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  has  evidently 
gained  ground,  and  is  still  gaining  day  by  day. 
Now,  while  these  and  other  important  changes 
may  have  been  in  part  due  to  other  causes,  we  can- 
not doubt,  in  the  light  of  the  past,  that  by  far  the 
most  potent  cause  has  been  the  strong  and  persis- 
tent presentation  of  the  principles  of  the  reforma- 
tion. 

The  prominent  characteristics  of  the  early  advo- 
cates of  union  among  Christians,  a  union  upon  the 
Bible  and  the  Bible  alone,  w^ere  purity  of  character, 
great  zeal,  untiring  industry  and  the  readiness  with 
which  they  relinquished  error  when  convinced  of 
it.  After  apostolic  example,  they  often  went  two 
and  two  from  place  to  place,  holding  meetings  of  a 
week  or  a  month,  as  circumstances  seemed  to  favor, 
and  with  a  single  eye  to  saving  souls  and  enlarging 
the  precincts  of  the  Master's  kingdom.  Though 
men  of  moderate  means  and  with  families  to  pro- 
vide for,  monied  remuneration  was  generally,  if  not 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


125 


B.  W.  Stone 


always,  entirely  voluntary.  These  old  worthies 
sacrificed  the  comforts  and  pleasures  of  home, 
making  long  journeys  horseback  and  seeming  to 
rest  in  comfort  in  the  humblest  log  cabin,  just  so 
they  were  saving  precious  souls.  These  old 
soldiers  of  the  cross  went  on,  conquering  and  to 
conquer,  gathering  in  thousands  ot  recruits  under 
the  blood  stained  banner,— now,  bright  gems  in 
their  immortal  crowns. 

Whether  in  the  light  of  mental  endowments, 
purity  of  character,  unflagging  zeal,  or  the  work 
he  accomplished.  Barton  W.  Stone  stands  as  one  of 
the  most  conspicuous  characters   connected  with 
the  reformation  of  the  nineteenth  century.     Born 
in    Maryland,  December  24th,  1772,  when  quite 
young    he  lost  his  father,  and  when    only  seven 
years  old,  his  mother  moved  to  Pittsylvania,  then, 
a  backwoods    county    of  Virginia.     Some  of  the 
older  brothers  gallantly  shouldered  their  guns  in 
the  cause  of  independence,  the  struggle  being  still 
fierce  and  bloody.     At  an  early  age.  Barton  was 
sent  to  school,  and  being  an  industrious   student 
and  a  great  lover  of  books,  in  a  few  years  he  be- 
came a  very  fiiir  English  scholar.     The  Bible  being 
regularly'read  in  the  schools  at  that  day,  he  acquir- 


126 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ed  considerable  knowledge  of  that  book  of  books 
while  yet  quite  young.     In  his  eighteenth  year  he 
entered  Guilford  Academy,  North  Carolina,  where 
he  studied  Latin  and  Greek  and  the  sciences.     It 
was  during  his  stay  at  Guilford  that  he  became  in- 
terested in  the  subject  of  Christianity,  but  like  thou- 
sands of  others  of  that   day,   and   even  later,  he 
struggled  for  a  long  time  in  doubt  and  despair,  try- 
ing to  learn  the  true  way  into  the  Father's  king- 
dom.    Light  finally  broke  upon  him  and  he  learn- 
ed the  great  lesson,  that  conversion  was  not  the  re- 
sult of  God's  miraculous  interference,  but  the  re- 
sult of  an  unwavering  faith,  perfect  obedience  and 
profound  sorrow  for  our  sins.     He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  Church,  and  with  a  view 
to  giving  his  time,  talents,  and  all  that  he  had,  to 
the  Master's  cause,  prepared  for  the  public  minis- 
try.    Two  incidents  in  his  early  and  eventful  life 
may  be  mentioned  ;  the  one  to  illustrate  his  humil- 
ity;  the  other  his  great  moral  courage.     He  says: 
''The  Methodists  had  just  established  an  academy 
near  Washington  (Georgia,)  under  the  superinten- 
dence of  a  Mr.  Hope  Hull,    a  very  distinguished 
preacher  of  that  denomination.     Through  the  in- 
fluence of  my  brother,  I  w^as  chosen  professor  of 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


127 


languages.  We  commenced  with  about  seventy 
students,  about  the  beginning  ot  1795.  I  exerted 
myself  to  fill  the  appointment  with  honor  to  my- 
self and  profit  to  my  pupils,  and  had  the  unspeak- 
able satisfaction  of  receiving  the  approbation  of  the 
trustees  of  the  institution  and  of  the  literati  of  the 
country.  Men  of  letters  Avere  few  at  that  time,  es- 
pecially in  that  part  of  the  world,  and  were  regard- 
ed with  more  than  common  respect.  The  marked 
attention  paid  me  by  the  more  respectable  part  ot 
the  community  w^as  nearly  my  ruin.  Invitations 
to  tea  parties  and  social  circles  were  frequent.  I 
attended  them  for  a  while,  until  I  found  that  this 
course  would  cause  me  to  make  shipwreck  of  faith 
and  a  good  conscience.  Though  I  still  retained 
the  profession  of  religion,  and  did  not  disgrace  it 
by  improper  conduct,  yet  my  devotion  was  cold, 
and  communion  wdth  God  much  interrupted.  See- 
ing my  danger,  I  denied  myself  of  these  fascinating 
pleasures,  and  determined  to  live  more  devoted  to 
God."  Though  only  twenty-three  years  of  age  at 
this  time,  he  sets  an  example  worthy  of  imitation 
by  young  men  of  the  present  day  whose  usefulness 
is  so  often  impaired  by  the  flattery  of  friends.  The 
other  incident  to  which  I  have  referred,  occurred 


128 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


129 


when  lie  was  about  to  be  ordained  by  the  Presby- 
tery of  Transylvania,  to  take  charge  of  the  congre- 
gations of  Cane  Eidge  and  Concord.      He  says : 
"Doubts,  too,  arose  in  my  mind,  on  doctrines  of 
election,  reprobation,  and  predestination  as  there 
taught.     In  this  state  of  mind,  the  day  appointed 
for  my  ordination  found  me.     I  had  determined  to 
tell  the  Presbytery  honestly  the  state  of  my  mind, 
and  to  request  them  to  defer  my  ordination  until  I 
should  be  better  informed  and  settled.     The  Pres- 
bytery came  together,  and  a  large  congregation 
attended.     Before  its  constitution  I  took  aside  the 
two  pillars  of  it,  Doct.  James  Blythe  and  Robert 
Marshall,  and  made  known  to  them  my  difficulties, 
and  that  I  had  determined  to  decline  ordination  at 
that  time.      They  labored,  but  in  vain,  to  remove 
my  difficulties  and  objections.      They  asked   me 
how  far  I  was  willing  to  receive  the  Confession.    I 
told  them,  as  far  as  I  saw  it  consistent  with  the 
word  of  God.     They  concluded  that  was  sufficient. 
I  went  into  Presbytery,  and  when  the  question  was 
proposed,  "Do  you  receive  and  adopt  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  as  containing  the  system  of  doc- 
trine taught  in  the  Bible?''     I  answered  aloud,  so 
that  the  whole  congregation  might  hear,  "I  do,  as 


\ 


far  as  I  see  it  consistent  with  the  word  of  God." 
Ko  objection  being  made,  I  was  ordained." 

Barton  W.  Stone  closely  followed  his  convictions, 
and  when  convinced  that  the  doctrine  taught  in 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  was  erroneous,  he  joined 
Richard  McISTemar,  John  Thompson,  John  Dun- 
lavy  and  Robert  Marshall  in  withdrawing  from  the 
jurisdiction  of  the   Synod.      They  organized   the 
Springfield  Presbytery,  under  the  name  of  which 
they  worked  for  a  time.  "But",  says  Stone  in  his 
autobiography,  "  we  liad  not  worn  our  name  more 
than  one  year,  before  we  saw  it  savored  of  a  party 
spirit.      With  the  man-made  creeds  we  threw  it 
overboard,  and  took  the  name  Christian— the  name 
given  to  the  disciples  by  divine  appointment,  first 
at  Antioch.      We  published  a  pamphlet  on  this 
name,  written  by  Elder  Rice  Haggard,  who  had 
lately  united  with  us.     Having  divested  ourselves 
of  all  party  creeds  and  party  names,  and  trusting 
alone  in  God,  and  the  word  of  his  grace,  we  be- 
came a  by-word  and  laughing  stock  to  the  sects 
around  us,  all  prophesying  our  speedy  annihilation. 
Yet  from  this  period  I  date  the  commencement  of 
tliat  reformation  which  has  progressed  to  this  day. 
Through  much  tribulation  and  opposition  we  ad- 
9 


l,i 


130 


REMINISCKNCES   AND   SERMONS, 


■||- 


11^ 


vanced,  and  cliurclies  and  preachers  were  multi- 
plied."     Elder  Stone,  though  a  man    of    strong 
attachments  and  rather  slender  means  at  this  time, 
woukl  not  be  influenced  by  personal  ties  or  world- 
ly gain  to  deviate  for  a  moment  from  what  he  con- 
ceived to  be  the  path  of  rectitude.     In  regard  to 
his  separation  from  Synod,  and  his  resignation  as 
pastor  of  the  Cane  Ridge  and  Concord  congrega- 
tions, he  says :    ''  Soon  after  our  separation,  I  called 
to^-ether  my  congregations  and  informed  them  that 
I  could  no  longer  conscientiously  preach  to  support 
the  Presbyterian  church— that  my  labors  should 
henceforth  be  directed  to  advance  the  Redeemer's 
kingdom,  irrespective  of  party — that  I   absolved 
them  from  all  obligations,  from  a  pecuniary  point 
of  view,  and  then  in  their  presence  tore  up  their 
salary  obligation  to  me,  in  order  to  free  their  minds 
from  all  fear  of  being  called  upon  hereafter  for  aid. 
Never  had  a  pastor  and  churches  lived  together 
more   harmoniously  than   we   had  for   about  six 
years.     Never  have  I  found  a  more  loving,  kind, 
and  orderly  people  in  any  country,  and  never  have 
I  felt  a  more  cordial  attachment  to  any  others.     I 
told  them  that  I  should  continue  to  preach  among 
them,  but  not  in  the  relation  that  had  previously 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


131 


existed  between  us.     This  was  truly  a  day  of  sor- 
row, and  the  impressions  of  it  are  indelible.   Thus, 
to  the  cause  of  truth  I  sacrificed  the  friendship  of 
two  large  congregations,  and  an  abundant  salary 
for  the  support  of  myself  and  family.     I  preferred 
the  truth  to  the  friendship  and  kindness  of  my 
associates  in  the  Presbyterian  ministry,  who  were 
dear  to  me,  and  tenderly  united  in  bonds  of  love. 
I  preferred  honesty  and  a  good  conscience  to  all 
these  things."     After  a  careful  examination  of  the 
subject  of  baptism.  Elder  Stone  became  convinced 
that  there  was  no  scripture  authority  for  pedo-bap- 
tism,  and  ceased  to  practice  it;  that  immersion  was 
the  true  mode,  and  the  penitent  believer  the  proper 
subject   for   this   ordinance,  though,  as   he   says: 
"  Into  the  spirit  of  the  doctrine  I  was  never  fully 
led,  until  it  was  revived  by  Brother  Alexander 
Campbell  some  years  after."     Though  forsaken  by 
many  of  his  friends' and  traduced  by  enemies,  this 
courageous  man  went  about  proclaiming  the  glad 
tidings  of  salvation  and  enlisting  in  the!  army  of 
our  great  Captain,  thousands  of  noble  souls,  now 
gems  in  his  unfading  crown.     Altliough  the  grand- 
est   achievements    accomplished  by   Elder  Stone 
were   in   publicly   proclaiming  the  word,   yet  he 


'  y 


!.  tri 


II 


132 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


133 


was  not  idle  in  other  directions.     He  was  a  success- 
ful  teacher  in  both  Lexington  and  Georgetown, 
Ky.,  and  for  many  years  edited  the  Christian  lless- 
enger,  first  in  Kentucky,  and  afterwards  in  Illinois. 
In  regard  to  this  paper  and  some  of  the  events  of 
the  time,  he  says :     "  In  the  year  182G,  I  commenc- 
ed a  periodical  called  the  Christian  Messenger,     I 
had  a  good  patronage  and  labored  to  make  the 
work  useful  and  acceptable.     After  continuing  the 
work  for  six  years.  Brother  John  T.  Johnson  be- 
came united  as  co-editor,  in  which  relation  we  con- 
tinued harmoniously  for  two  years,  when  the  edi- 
torial connection  was  dissolved  by  my  removal  to 
Illinois.     The  work  still  continued  in  Illinois,  with 
short  intervals,  to  the  present  year,  1843.     Just  be- 
fore Brother  Johnson  and  myself  united  as  co-edi- 
tors of  the  Christian  3Iesscngcr,  Alexander  Camp- 
bell of  Virginia,  had  caused  a  great  excitement  in 
Kentucky,  as  well  as  in  other  States,  on  the  subject 
of  religion.     He  had  received  a  complete  education 
in  Scotland,  and  became  a  preacher  of  the  straitest 
sect  of  Presbyterians.     In  early  life  he  had  immi- 
orated  into  America,  and   under   the    conviction 
that  the  immersion  of  believers  only  was  baptism, 
he  joined  the  Baptists.    Not  content  to  be  circum- 


^ 


scribed  in  their  system  of  religion,  by  close  appli- 
cation to  the  Bible,  he  became  convinced  that  he 
had  received  many  doctrines  unauthorized  by  scrip- 
ture, and  contrary  to  them,  and  therefore  he  relin- 
quished them  for  those  more  scriptural.  He  boldly 
determined  to  take  the  Bible  alone  for  his  stand- 
point ot  faith  and  practice,  to  the  exclusion  of  all 
other  books  as  authoritative.  He  argued  that  the 
Bible  presented  sufiicient  evidence  of  its  truth  to 
sinners  to  enable  them  to  believe  in  it,  and  suffici- 
ent motives  to  induce  them  to  obey  it — that  until 
they  believed  and  obeyed  the  gospel,  in  vain  they 
expected  salvation,  pardon,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 

that  now  is  the  accepted  time,  and  now  is   the 

day  of  salvation. 

These  truths  we  had  proclaimed  and  reiterated 
throu<''h  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  land,  from 
the  press  and  from. the  pulpit,  many  years  before 
A.  Campbell  and  his  associates  came  upon  the 
stage  as  aids  of  the  good  cause.  Their  aid  gave  a 
new  impetus  to  the  reformation  which  was  in  pro- 
gress, especially  among  the  Baptists  in  Kentucky, 
and  the  doctrine  spread  and  greatly  increased  in 
the  West.  The  only  distinguishing  doctrine  be- 
tween us  and  them  was,  that  they  preached  bap- 


i 


134 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


135 


tisrii  for  the  remission  of  sins  to  believing  peni- 
tents. This  had  not  generally  obtained  among  us, 
though  some  few  had  received  it  and  practiced  ac- 
cordingly. They  insisted  also  upon  weekly  com- 
munion, which  we  had  neglected.  It  was  believ- 
ed by  many,  and  feared  by  us,  that  they  were  not 
sufficiently  explicit  on  the  influences  of  tlie  Spirit. 
Many  unguarded  things  were  spoken  and  written 
"by  them  on  this  subject,  calculated  to  excite  the 
suspicions  and  fears  of  the  people,  that  no  other  in- 
fluence was  needed  than  that  in  the  written  word  ; 
therefore  to  pray  to  God  for  help  was  vain.  The 
same  thing  had  long  been  objected  to  us  long  be- 
fore, and  with  plausibility  too;  for  we  also  had  been 
unguarded  in  our  expressions.  In  private  conversa- 
tion with  these  brethren  our  fears  were  removed, 
for  our  views  were  one. 

Among  others  of  tlie  Baptists,  who  received  and 
zealously  advocated  the  teaching  of  A.  Campbell, 
was  John  T.  Johnson,  than  who,  there  is  not  a 
better  man.  "We  lived  together  in  Georgetown, 
and  labored  and  worshipped  together.  We  plain- 
ly saw  that  we  were  on  the  same  foundation,  in  the 
same  spirit,  and  preached  the  same  gospel.  We 
a8:reed  to  unite  our  energies  to  efltect  a  union  be- 


tween our  different  societies.    This  was  easily  efiect- 
ed  in  Kentucky  ;  and  in  order  to  confirm  the  union, 
we  became  co-editors  of  the  Christian  3Iessenger. 
To  show  how  close  this  subject  of  Christian  union 
lay  to  the  heart  of  this  great  and  good  man,  let  us 
mention  a  single  circumstance  recorded  in  his  own 
language.     lie  says :     "  In  the  fall  of  1834,  I  mov- 
ed my   family  to   Jacksonville,  Illinois.     Here  I 
found  two  churches — a  Christian  and  Reformers' 
church.     They  w^orshipped   in  separate  places.     I 
refused  to  unite  with  either  until  they    united, 
and  labored  to  effect  it.     It  was  effected."     To 
show  how  entirely  free  he  was  from  any  feeling 
of  envy  or  jealousy,  let  us  hear  what  he  has  to  say 
of  one  who  had  become  so  conspicuous  not  only 
among  our  own  people,  but  among  the  various  de- 
nominations in  the  United  States,  and  whose  fame 
had  even  reached  Europe.     "  I  will  not  say  there 
are  no  faults  in  Brother  Campbell,  but  that  there 
are  fewer,  perhaps,  in  him,  than  any  man  I  know 
on  earth,  and  over  these  few  my  love  would  throw 
a  veil,  and  hide  them  from  view  forever.     I  am 
constrained  and  willingly  constrained  to  acknow- 
ledge him  the  greatest  promoter  of  this  reforma- 
tion of  all  men  living.     The  Lord  reward  him !" 


\4 


136 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


137 


The  last  visit  of  Elder  Stone  to  some  places  in  In- 
diana, Ohio,  and  Kentucky,  where  many  years  be- 
fore he  had  labored  so  successfully,  and  especially 
his  visit  to  old  Cane  Ridge  in  Bourbon  County,  so 
well  described  by  that  faithful  biographer  and  pure 
Christian,  John  Rogers,  I  never  read  without  deep 
interest.  It  was  a  triumphal  march  of  an  old  and 
faithful  soldier  of  the  cross  who  had  won  so  many 
battles  with  the  sw^ord  of  the  spirit.  Barton  W. 
Stone  died  in  Hannibal,  Missouri,  Nov.  9th,  1844, 
in  the  full  possession  of  his  mental  faculties  and  in 
the  triumphs  of  that  faith  which  had  sustained  him 
in  so  many  trials  and  adversities.  When  asked  by 
Elder  Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  it  he  felt  any  fear  at  the 
approach  of  death,  his  reply  was:  "Oh,  no, 
Brother  Creath.  I  know  whom  I  have  believed, 
and  in  whom  I  have  trusted ;  and  I  am  persuaded 
that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committ- 
ed tohim.  I  know  that  my  Redeemer  lives.    Allmy 

dependence  is  in  God,  and  in  his  Son  Jesus  Christ." 
The  high  encomiums  passed  upon  this  great  and 
good  man,  after  his  death,  by  Alexander  Camp- 
bell, Thomas  M.  Allen,  .Jacob  Creath,  Jr.,  David 
T.  Morton,  William  Rogers,  James  Houston,  John 
M.  Irvin,  W.  1\  Payne,  Francis  R.  Palmer,   Love 


'^ 


H.  Jameson,  David  Purviance  and  others,  show  the 
high  estimation  m  which  he  was  held  by  promin- 
ent brethren  in  the  West. 

Thomas  Campbell  was  born  in  County   DoAvn, 
Ireland,  on  the  1st  of  February,  1763.     He  became 
a  minister  in  the  Presbyterian  church,  laboring  in 
that  capacity  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  until  1807, 
when  advised  by  his  physician  to  take  a  sea  voyage 
for  his  health,  he  sailed  for  America.     On  arriving 
in  Philadelphia,  he  was  sent  by  the  Presbyterian 
Synod  to  preach  at  Chartiers,  in  Western  Pennsyl- 
vania, where  he  labored  for  a  time ;  but  his  views, 
especially  on  the  subject  of  communion,  being  too 
liberal  to  suit  the  Synod,  his  connection  w^ith  that 
body  w^as  severed.     In  1809,  he  joined  with  a  num- 
ber of  persons  of  dilFerent  denominations  in  form- 
in  o-  the   ^' Christian  Association    of   Washington, 
Prnnsylvania,''  the  object  of  which  was  to  promote 
simple,  evangelical  Christianity  as  set  forth  in  the 
scriptures,  and  repudiating  all  opinions  of  men,  all 
human   authority  as  of  any  binding  force  in  the 
constitution,   faith   or   worship   of  the    Christian 
church.     Alexander  Campbell  arriving  in  America 
about  this  time,   co-operated   heartily  with   this 
movement,  and  when  the  Brush  Run  congregation 


J    ■'    £ 


t 


138 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


A   RECAPITULATION, 


139 


was  organized,  the  father  and  son  were  ordained 
pastors  of  the  church.  Further  investigation  con- 
vinced both  father  and  son  that  there  was  neither 
precept  nor  example  in  the  iSTew  Testament  for  in- 
fant baptism,  and  that  consistency  with  the  position 
they  had  taken,  required  that  its  practice  should 
be  given  up.  Still  further  investigation,  led  first 
the  son  and  subsequently  tlie  father,  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  immersion  and  immersion  alone  was 
Christian  baptism.  These  two  brave  men,  prompt- 
ly following  their  honest  convictions  without  refer- 
ence to  consequences,  were  both,  with  several 
other  members  of  the  Brush  Run  congregation,  on 
the  12th  of  June,  1812,  immersed  by  Elder  Mathias 
Luse,  of  the  Baptist  church.  The  immersed  be- 
lievers of  this  congregation  were  received  into  the 
Red  Stone  Baptist  Association,  with  which  they 
co-operated  for  some  time.  But  though  stipulated 
at  the  time  of  their  admission  into  the  association 
that  no  terms  of  union  or  communion  should  be 
required  of  them,  other  than  the  holy  scriptures, 
vet  dissensions  arose,  which  culminated  in  the  dis- 
missal  of  about  thirty  members  of  the  Brush  Run 
congregation  to  "VVcllsburg,  where  they  built  a  new 
church,  and  were  afterwards  admitted  into  the  Ma- 
honing Association  of  Ohio. 


For  some  time  Thomas  Campbell  taught  school 
in  Pittsburg,  Professor  Robert  Richardson,  the  bi- 
ographer of  Alexander  Campbell,  being  one  of  his 
pupils.     In  1818,  he  lived  in  Burlington,  Ky.,  and 
afterwards  removed  to  Brook  County,  Virginia, 
where  he  assisted  his  son,  Alexander,  in  teaching 
in  the  Buflalo  Academy.     Thus,  his  time  was  divi- 
ded between  teaching  and  preaching,  until  far  ad- 
vanced in  years.     The  last  years  of  his  life  he  was 
blind,  living  in  the  house  of  his  son,  Alexander, 
where  he  was  tenderly  cared  for.     One  who  heard 
Thomas  Campbell  preach  about  seventy  years  ago, 
when  he  was  still  in  the  prime  of  manhood,  de- 
scribes  him  as  a  man  of  medium  height,  rather 
spare,   with  high,  noble   forehead,  and  speaking 
witn  fervor  and  earnestness.     He  seems  to  have 
been  at  that  time,  not  only  an  attractive  figure  in 
the  pulpit,  but  a  model  of  loveliness  in  the  family 
circle.     The  great  care  he  bestowed  on  his  son's 
education,  especially  in  training  him  for  the  min- 
istry,  and  afterwards  their  joint  etlbrts  to  lay  aside 
every   opinion   which    conflicted   with  the  plain 
teaching  of  the  Word,  and  planting  themselves  on 
that  Word,  and  that  Word  alone,  was  as  beauti- 
ful as    it  was  simple    and   unostentatious.     This 


I 


i\ 


140 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


141 


godly  mail  seems  to  have  possessed  in  an  emi- 
nent degree,  that  high  moral  courage  which  marks 
the  characters  of  so  many  early  reformers,  in  fol- 
lowing imi)licitly  their  convictions.  Besides  the 
vast  amount  of  good  accomplished  by  Thomas 
Campbell,  both  as  teacher  of  youth  and  preacher 
of  the  gospel,  he  rendered  great  service  to  the  re- 
formation by  his  sage  advice.  He  wisely  said, 
''AVhere  the  Bible  speaks,  let  us  speak;  where  the 
Bible  is  silent,  let  us  be  silent."  The  importance 
of  the  first  part  of  the  proposition  all  Protestant- 
ism will,  of  course,  freely  admit,  but  where  in  all 
the  world  at  that  day  was  the  latter  part  of  his 
proposition — '' AVhere  the  Bible  is  silent,  let  us  be 
silent" — regarded  as  authoritative  ?  Men  had  gone 
on  making  creeds  and  tests  of  fellowship;  erecting 
new  walls  of  partition  among  God's  people,  in- 
stead of  breaking  down  old  ones,  until  that  earnest 
prayer  of  the  Savior  for  the  union  of  his  people — 
John  xvii — seemed  to  be  entirely  ignored.  I  re- 
gard this  conservative  element  in  the  reformatory 
movement,  confining  ourselves  in  the  work  and 
worship,  to  the  plain  teaching  of  the  word,  as 
being  of  the  very  greatest  importance.  Without 
it,  we  are  liable  to  lapseinto  denominationalism; 


but  with  it  in  full  force,  1  cannot  see  how  we  can. 
It  is  true  that  without  this  conservative  element, 
we  mi<^ht  grow  in  numbers  and  in  influence, 
but  should  we  then  occupy  a  platform  w^here  we 
could  consistently  ask  everybody  to  join  us? 
Would  not  our  strong  ijlea  for  the  union  of  all 
Christians,  be  weakened  or  entirely  neutralized? 

Thomas  Campbell  died  at  the  home  of  his  son 
Alexander,  at  Bethany,  Virginia,  in  1854,  having 
reached  the  advanced  age  of  ninety-one  years.    He 
was  highly  devotional,  and  had  such  a  high  regard 
for  the  Bible,  that  even  after  he  had  become  blind, 
he  kept  it  on  a  stand  at  the  head  of  his  bed  where 
he  could  put  his  hand  on  it.     One  of  the  household 
says,  that  one  morning  she  took  his  Bible  from  its 
accustomed  place  to  read  from,  but  he  missed  it, 
and  made  inquiry  for  it,  indicating  that  he  made  a 
practice  of  feeling  for  it.     The  same  one  who  wait- 
ed on  him  so  faithfully,  and  saw  so  much  of  his 
sweet  temper,  his  resignation  and  his    devotion, 
says  he  w^ould  have  anyone  who  visited  him— after 
he    was  blind— hold    his    hymn-book    while    he 
would  repeat  beautiful  hymns.     A  faithful  and  de- 
voted brother,  who  had  been  both  student  and  pro- 
fessor in  Bethany  College,  w^as  present  in  the  room 


142 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


143 


when  Elder  Campbell  died,  and  described  it  as  a 
most  solemn  and  aftecting  scene.  As  the  venerable 
patriarch  lay  patiently  waiting  for  the  spirit  to 
leave  the  body,  the  son,  himself  then  getting  old, 
stood  by,  grief  stricken,  but  with  a  radiant  hope  of 
a  future  meeting  not  far  off.  He  said  he  felt  that 
angels  were  in  that  room  ready  to  waft  the  spirit 
to  its  blessed  home  above. 

Alexander  Campbell  was  born  in  the  county  of 
Antrim,  in  the  north  of  Ireland,  in  June,  1786. 
His  education  was  completed  at  the  University  of 
Glasgow,  and  after  studying  for  the  ministry  in  the 
Presbyterian  church,  came  to  America  in  1809. 
He  spent  mucli  of  his  time  subsequently  in  teach- 
ing and  preaching.  His  first  labors  as  a  preacher 
were  in  the  Presbyterian  church ;  but  changing  his 
views  in  regard  to  both  the  mode  and  design  of 
baptism,  he  was,  as  already  stated  in  our  brief 
sketch  of  Thomas  Campbell,  immersed  on  the  12th 
of  June,  1812,  and  acted  afterwards  with  the  Red 
Stone  Baptist  Association,  and  subsequently  with 
the  Mahoning  Association  of  Ohio.  It  was  while 
a  member  of  the  Red  Stone  Association,  notwith- 
standing the  unpopularity  of  some  of  his  views 
with  this  body,  that  he  was  selected  to  hold  a  de- 


bate with  John  Walker,  a  Presbyterian,  on  the  sub- 
ject of  baptism.     This  debate  took  place  in  1821, 
and  was  so  popular  that  two  editions  were  soon 
published.     In  1823  he  held  a  debate  on  the  same 
subject,  w^ith  the  Rev.  Mr.  McCalla,  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.     This  debate  brought  Mr.  Campbell 
still  more  prominently  before  the  people  of  Ken- 
tucky, who  liberally  supported  the  Christian  Bap- 
tist, the  publication  of  which  he  commenced  that 
year.    I  doubt  if  any  religious  periodical  of  that  day 
ever  produced  such  a  deep  impression,  or  had  so 
much  to  do  with  molding  religious  thought.     Mr. 
Campbell  wrote  as  he  spoke,  with  that  clearness 
and  force  which  at  once  arrests  attention,  and  in 
many  cases  produces  conviction.     The  success  of 
this  periodical  was  largely  due  to  his  own  pen, 
which  was  wnelded  witlr  great  ability  and  untiring 
zeal.     It  was  continued  for  about  seven  years,  and 
then    merged  into  the  3Iillennial  Harbinger,     The 
latter  was  a  larger  paper,  and  very  ably  conducted, 
many  strong  writers  contributing  to  its  pages,  a 
large  portion  of  the  work,  however,  falling  upon 
the  editor-in-chief.    In  1829,  Mr.  Campbell  held  his 
debate  with  Robert  Owen,  the  infidel,  in  which  he 
so  triumphantly  vindicated  the  claims  of  Christian- 


144 


llEMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ity.      Tliis  debate,  wliicli  was  held  in  Cincinnati, 
was  listened  to,  not  only  by  many  of  the  prominent 
citizens,  but  also  by  many  who  had  come  there  for 
the   express   purpose   of    hearing   the    discussion. 
This  debate  was  published,  and  still  may  be  found 
in  the  libraries  of  some  of  the  older  brethren.     In 
1836,  Mr.  Campbell  held  his  debate  with  Archbish- 
op Purcell,  of  Cincinnati.     This  debate,  upon  the 
doctrines  and  corruptions  of  the  Catholic  church, 
was  ably  conducted  on   both  sides.     Archbishop 
Purcell  was  not  only  a  man  of  ability  and  shrewd- 
ness, but  was  a  man  of  tine  scholarship.     He  had 
not  only  been  tlioroughly  trained  for  the  priest- 
hood, but  had  also  the  advantage  of  a  stay  of  some 
years  in  Rome,  where  he  was  still  farther  drilled  in 
the  doctrines  and  history  of  his  cliurch,  as  well  as 
outside  literature  and  letters.     Upon  one  occasion, 
in  a  private  conversation,  Mr.  Campbell  was  asked 
the  question,  who  he  considered  the  ablest  debatant 
he  had  met,  and  promptly  responded,  "Purcell." 
Another  thing  that  gave  additional  interest  to  this 
famous  debate,  was  the  fact  that  so  few  dignitaries 
of  the  Catholic  church  in  this  country  had  appeared 
on  the  platform  to  discuss  the  do«itrines  or  defend 
the  practices  of  their  church.     The  fact  that  so 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


145 


many  copies  of  this  published  debate  are  to  be 
found  in  the  libraries  of  our  brethren  is  a  fair  com- 
mentary of  how  they  thought  Mr.  Campbell  sus- 
tained himself  in  his  attempt  to  expose  the  corrup- 
tions and  fallacies  of  this  old  and  powerful  organi- 
zation. I  think  for  this  able  exposition  of  super- 
stition and  error,  all  Protestantism  owes  Mr. 
Campbell  a  debt  of  gratitude.  The  last  public  de- 
bate in  which  Mr.  Campbell  engaged  was  that  with 
N.  L.  Rice,  Presbyterian,  held  in  Lexington,  Ky., 
in  1843.  I  think  the  brethren  generally,  who  ei- 
ther heard  this  debate  or  read  it,  after  it  was  pub- 
lished, were  entirely  satisfied  with  Brother  Camp- 
bell's arguments  in  favor  of  our  views.  This  inde- 
fatigable man,  by  invitation,  delivered  a  number  of 
public  addresses  on  various  topics,  most  of  which 
have  been  published,  and'  show  close  thought  and 
deep  research.  Ilis  address  to  the  Young  Men's 
Mercantile  Library  Association  of  Cincinnati,  on  the 
Anglo-Saxon  Language,  Its  Origin,  Character  and 
Destiny,  would  alone  entitle  him  to  a  very  high  stand 
as  a  public  lecturer.  This  interesting  address,  de- 
livered on  the  11th  of  December,  1849,  shows  won- 
derful research,  admirable  reasoning  and  a  pro- 
phetic glimpse  of  the  future,  which  is  now  being 
10 


146 


KEMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


fulfilled   with  wonderful  accuracy.      Even   when 
crossing  the  Atlantic,  his  pen  was  not  idle,  as  is 
shown  by  his  delightful  and  instructive  letters  to 
his  daughter  on  the  ocean  and  its  tenantry.     He 
spent  much  of  his  valuable  life  in  the  school-room, 
first  in  Buffalo  Academy,  and  afterwards  in  Beth-^ 
any  College,  of  which  he  was  founder  and  after- 
wards president.     As  president  of  the  college  he 
seems  to  have  made  a  lasting  impression  on  the 
students,  while  his  Bible  readings  and  comments 
furnished  valuable  thought  in  after  years  to  many 
an  able  preacher,  of  which  this  college  could  boast 
so   many   among    her   alumni.      But,   while   Mr. 
Campbell  was  a  pronounced  success  as  teacher,  ed- 
itor and  public  debater,  his  highest  triumph  was,  I 
think,  as  a  preacher;  for  here,  in  many  respects,  he 
was  pre-eminent.     He  had  a  commanding  appear- 
ance, an  unusually  fine  voice,  which  was  pleasant 
to  the  ear,  and  could  be  distinctly  heard  even  on 
the  outskirts  of  an  immense  audience,  and  with 
seemingly  little  or  no  eftbrt  on  the  part  of  the 
speaker.     He  was  one  ot  the  finest  readers  to  be 
heard  in  the  pulpit  or  out  of  it.     The  ease  with 
which  he  spoke,  the  clearness  with  which  he  pre- 
sented his  subject,  and  the  distinctness  with  which 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


147 


he  was  heard,  seemed  to  at  once  arrest  the  atten- 
tion of  his  audience,  and  hold  it  to  the  end  of  the 
discourse,  even  where  this  was  from  an  hour  and  a 
half  to  two  hours  in  length.  As  an  illustration,  it 
is  said  that  the  first  time  John  Smith  heard  him 
.  preach,  w^iich  occurred  in  Flemingsburg,  Ky.,  in 
1824,  lie  complained  of  the  shortness  of  the  ser- 
mon, which  he  thought  had  occupied  about  half  an 
hour,  but,  upon  examining  his  watch,  found  it  had 
been  two  hours  and  a  half  long.  It  is  said  that 
this  discourse  was  delivered  in  the  simplest  man- 
ner, but  the  new  views  being  enunciated  and  eluci- 
dated, seemed  to  strike  the  strong  mind  of  John 
Smith  with  a  force  which  obliterated  for  the  time, 
all  cognizance  of  time.  Dr.  Ileman  Humphrey, 
the  great  Presbyterian  divine,  and  ex-President  of 
Amherst  College,  Mass.,  who  heard  Mr.  Campbell 
preach  two  discourses  in  Louisville,  Ky.,  in  1850, 
says : 

"Ifo  man  of  any  religious  denomination  in  this 
part  of  the  country  has  kept  himself  so  promi- 
nently before  the  public  for  the  last  five  and  twenty 
years,  or  wielded  so  wide  an  influence  as  Alexander 
Campbell.  Though  on  the  first  evening  I  went  half 
an  hour  before  the  time,  I  found  the  house  and 


148 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


aisles  densely  crowded  from  the  porcli  up  to  the 
pulpit  stairs.     Very  many,  I  am  sure,  must  have 
gone  away  because  they  could  find  no  room,  even 
to  stand,  within  hearing  of  the  preacher's  voice. 
At  length  Dr.  Campbell  made  his  way  up  through 
the  crowd,  and  took  his  seat  in  the  pulpit.     He  is 
somewhat  above  the  middle  stature,  with  broad 
shoulders,  a  little   stooping,  and,  though  stoutly 
built,  rather  spare  and  pale.     He  has  a  high  intel- 
lectual   forehead,   a    keen    dark    eye,    somewhat 
shaded,  and  a  well-covered  head  of  gray  hair,  fast 
changing  into  the  full  bloom  of  the  almond  tree. 
I  think  he  must  be  rather  over  than  under  sixty- 
five  years  of  age.     He  looks  like  a  hard-working 
man,  as  he  has  been  from  his  youth  up.     Very  few 
could  have  endured  so  much  mental  and  physical 
labor  as  has  raised  him  to  the  commanding  posi- 
tion which  he  occupies,  and  so  long  sustained  him 
in  it.     His  voice  is  not  strong,  evidently  owing  in 
part,  at  least,  to  the  indiflerent  state  of  his  health, 
but  it  is  clear  and  finely  modulated.     His  enuncia- 
tion is  distinct,  and,  as  he  uses  no  notes,  his  lan- 
guage is  remarkably  pure  and  select.     In  his  deliv- 
ery he  has  not  much  action,  and  but  little  of  that 
fervid  outpouring  which  characterizes  Western  and 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


149 


Southern  eloquence.  There  is  nothing  vociferous 
and  impassioned  in  his  manner.  I  think  he  is  the 
most  perfectly  self-possessed,  the  most  perfectly  at 
ease  in  the  pulpit,  of  all  preachers  I  ever  listened  to, 
except,  perhaps,  the  celebrated  Dr.  John  Mason,  of 
New  York.  No  gentleman  could  be  more  free  and 
unembarrassed  in  his  own  parlor.  At  the  same 
time  there  was  not  the  least  apparent  want  of  def- 
erence for  his  audience.  In  laying  out  his  work,  his 
statements  are  simple,  clear  and  concise;  his  topics 
are  well  and  logically  arranged;  his  reasoning  is 
calm  and  deliberate,  but  full  of  assurance.  His  ap- 
peals are  not  very  earnest  nor  indicative  of  deep 
feeling ;  but,  nevertheless,  winning  and  impressive 
in  a  high  degree.  There  were  many  fine  and  some 
truly  eloquent  passages  in  the  two  discourses  which 
I  heard,  but  they  seemed  to  cost  him  no  efibrt,  and 
to  betray  no  consciousness  on  his  part  that  they 
were  fine.  In  listening  to  him  you  feel  that  you 
are  in  the  presence  of  a  great  man.  He  speaks 
like  a  "  master  of  assemblies,"  who  has  entire  con- 
fidence in  the  mastery  of  his  subject  and  his  powers, 
and  who  expects  to  carry  conviction  to  the  minds 
of  his  hearers,  without  anv  of  those  adventitious 
aids  on  which  ordinary  men  find  it  necessary  to 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


151 


150 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS, 


f 


f 

I 


I 


I 
I 


rely.     On  both  evenings  when  I  heard  him  he  held 
the  great  congregation  for  an  hour  and  a  half,  in 
that  profound  stillness  which  shows  that  his  listen- 
ers are  not  aware  of  the  lapse  of  time.     Dr.  Camp- 
bell's first  discourse  was  an  exceedingly  interesting 
eulogy,  if  I  may  so  call  it,  upon  the  Bible,  glancing 
rapidly  at  some  of  the  internal  proofs  of  its  divine 
origin,  dwelling  as  much  as  his  time  would  allow 
upon  its  wonderful  history,  biography  and  prophe- 
cies, and  following  the  sacred  stream  down  through 
the  different  dispensations,  or,  as  he  expressed  it, 
through  'the  starlight  and  moonlight  ages  of  the 
patriarchs,  and  of  the  Jewish  commonwealth,  till 
the  glorious  sun  of  righteousness  rose  upon  the 
world  and  introduced  the  Christian  era.'    The  text 
on  the  following  evening  was,  '  Great  is  the  inys- 
tery  of  godliness,'  etc.     It  was  an  able  and  ortho- 
dox   discourse    throughout.      He    dwelt    chiefly 
upon  the  two  clauses  of  the  text,  'justified  in  the 
spirit,  received  up  into  glory,'  and  I  cannot  in  jus- 
tice refrain  from  acknowledging  that  I  never  re- 
member to  have  listened  to,  or  to  have  read,  a  more 
thrilling  outburst  of  sacred  eloquence  than  when 
he  came  to  the  scene  of  the  coronation  of  Christ, 
and  quoted  that  sublime  passage  from  the  24th 


Psalm,  beginning,  'Lift  up  your  heads,  0  ye  gates, 
and  be  ye  lifted  up,  ye  everlasting  doors,  that  the 
King  of  Glory  may  come  in,'  when  he  represented 
all  the  angels,  principalities  and  powers  of  heaven 
as  coming  together  to  assist,  as  it  were,  in  placing 
the  crown  upon  the  Kedeemer's  head.  Dr.  Camp- 
bell is  certainly  a  great  man." — Millennial  Harbin- 
ger^ May,  1850. 

The  above  criticisms  are  so  able,  so  just  and  so 
liberal,  that  we  have  quoted  them  more  fully  than 
we  otherwise  should  have  done.  I  think  if 
Professor  Humphrey  had  known  that  Brother 
Campbell  never  claimed  the  title  of  either  reverend, 
or  doctor,  he  would  not  have  prefixed  the  latter 

title  to  his  name. 

One  who  heard  him  preach  about  this  time,  to  a 
large  audience  in  the  Court-house  in  Maysville 
Ky.,  says :  "  He  seemed  to  hold  the  people  spell- 
bound for  about  one  hour  and  a  half.  As  the  au- 
dience was  composed  in  part  of  other  church  mem- 
bers than  his  own,  his  subject,  '  The  Creation,'  was 
happily  chosen,  as  not  involving  any  doctrinal 
points.  His  commentary  on  the  word  '  creation ;' 
his  clear  elucidation  of  the  various  steps  taken  by 
Jehovah  to  fit  up  this  earth  as  a  suitable  abode  for 


152 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


man ;  the  elucidation  of  the  fact,  that  had  creation 
stopped  at  any  one  of  these  steps  it  would  have 
been  thus  far  complete;  the  manner  in  which  this 
wonderful  work  was  mapped  out  in  the  mind  of 
the  Creator,  before  the  first  fiat — '  light  be ' — was 
pronounced;  indeed,  the  whole  theme  was  handled 
with  a  master  hand/*  This  discourse  he  pro- 
nounced one  of  the  grandest  he  had  ever  heard 
from  the  pulpit. 

One  of  the  remarkable  features  in  Mr.  Camp- 
bell's preaching,  was  the  ease  with  which  he  ad- 
dressed vast  audiences,  day  after  day  for  weeks  to- 
gether without  complaining  of  fatigue  or  exhaus- 
tion. While  he  made  no  effort  at  oratorical  dis- 
play, his  gestures  were  easy  and  natural,  his  lan- 
guage chaste,  forcible  and  to  the  point  His  sub- 
ject seemed  to  be  so  clearly  before  his  mind,  so 
thoroughly  within  his  grasp,  that  he  moved  on 
from  one  proposition  to  another  with  wonderful 
ease,  and  with  the  greatest  order  and  precision, 
and  always  without  the  aid  of  notes.  With  one 
who  enjoyed  such  great  popularity,  and  whose  ser- 
mons were  listened  to  by  such  vast  crowds,  it 
might  be  thought  by  those  unacquainted  person- 
ally, with  Brother  Campbell,  that  he  might  have 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


153 


become  slightly  egotistic,  and  somewhat  dictatorial 
in  manner.     But  so  far  from  this  being  the  case, 
humility    was    one  of  his    distinguishing    traits; 
while  in  the  private  circle  he  was  a  model  of  gentle- 
ness and  affability.    Indeed,  by  the  fireside  he  was 
most  charming  in  manner,  always  bright,  genial, 
and  instructive.     One  who  met  him  several  times 
in  the  private  circle  during  his  last  visit  to  Louis- 
ville, Ky.,  in  1865,  says  ^^that  though  his  memory 
in  regard  to  recent  events  was  somewhat  clouded, 
the  events  which  had  transpired  half  a  century  be- 
fore, were  clear  and  well  defined,  while  on  Bible 
topics  he  was  perfectly  at  home.     A  certain  Psalm 
being  suggested,  he  repeated  the  whole  of  it  in  his 
own  inimitable  style.     During  the  same  visit  he 
preached  one   or  two   sermOns   marked  by  lofty 
thought,  clothed  in  his  usual  chaste  language." 

He  was  highly  devotional.  His  aged  widow, 
now  nearly  ninety  years  of  age,  whose  mind  is  so 
admirably  preserved,  says  he  had  family  worship 
regularly  morning  and  night,  at  which  both  chil- 
dren and  servants  were  present.  The  custom  was 
for  each  one  to  read  a  portion  of  the  morning  les- 
son, and  at  night  to  rehearse  vrhat  he  had  commit- 
ted during  the  day.     She  says :    '"  Never  did  I  see 


154 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


him  in  all  my  life  sit  down  to  the  table  before  giv- 
ing thanks;  but,  most  reverently  standing  up,  no 
matter  how  great  the  number  or  the  strangers 
might  be.  For  some  two  or  three  years  before  his 
death,  he  often  prayed  in  his  sleep,  and  always 
when  he  awakened.  It  was  the  winter  before  his 
death  he  preached  a  sermon  in  his  sleep,  upon  the 
second  coming  of  Christ."  This  discourse,  occupy- 
ing from  a  half  to  three-quarters  of  an  hour.  Sister 
Campbell  says,  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  she 
ever  heard  her  husband  preach.  Brother  Camp- 
bell seemed  to  fully  recognize  the  fact,  that  what- 
ever he  possessed  in  the  way  of  talents,  influence  or 
money,  it  all  belonged  to  the  Lord.  He  not  only 
gave  liberally  of  his  means  to  the  spread  of  the 
gospel,  and  the  promotion  of  education,  but  the 
poor,  both  black  and  white,  are  said  to  have  never 
appealed  to  him  in  vain.  He  was  blessed  not  only 
with  a  great  mind,  but  with  a  fine  constitution 
and  unusually  good  health.  If  I  mistake  not,  one 
of  his  family  said  he  had  not,  previous  to  the  at- 
tack of  sickness  which  ended  in  his  death,  been 
really  sick,  even  for  a  day,  for  fifty  years.  Alex- 
ander Campbell  died  at  his  home  at  Bethany,  West 
Virginia,  on  the  4th  day  of  March,  1866. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


155 


Another  remarkable  man   who  took  an  active 
part  in  the  reformatory  movement  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  was  Elder  John  Smith,  who  was 
born  in  what  is  now  East  Tennessee,  October  15th, 
1784.     He  was  sent  to  school  for  a  short  time  when 
young,  learning  to  spell  and  read,  but  his  services 
were'^so  necessary  in  the  forest  and  in  the  field 
that    his    education   was    necessarily    neglected. 
Later  in  life  he  went  to  school  for  a  short  time 
pursuing  his  studies  with  great  industry  and  per- 
severance in  his  eager  desire  to  acquire  knowledge. 
The  story  that  John  Smith  was  entirely  without 
education,  probably  had  its  origin  in  the  fact  that 
he    sometimes    in  the  pulpit  proclaimed    in   his 
quaint  manner  that  he  had  been  raised  in  the  back- 
woods and  was  ignorant.  '  That  other  story  too, 
that  after  he  was  married  his  wife  taught  him  his 
letters,  seems  also  to  be  unfounded.    Yet,  John 
Smith's  education,  even  when  he  had  attained  to 
manhood,    was  very  limited.     Fortune  did    but 
little  for  this  man,  but  nature  did  a  great  deal. 
His  mind  was  clear,  strong  and  grasping,  his  wit 
keen  and  flashing,  his  manner  sufficiently  quaint 
to  rivet  attention,  while  his  fervent  appeals  would 
often  strike  his  audience  with  peculiar  magnetic 


156 


KEMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


force.  To  illustrate  his  wonderful  power  in  the 
pulpit,  I  will  narrate  one  incident  as  given  by  his 
excellent  biographer,  Professor  John  Williams. 
Smith,  who  was  now  a  married  man  with  four 
little  children,  and  who  had  already  been  ordained 
a  preacher  in  the  Baptist  church,  had,  with  the 
hope  of  bettering  his  worldly  condition,  moved  to 
Alabama.  Here,  after  much  hard  work  and  under- 
going many  privations,  he  began  to  feel  that  he 
was  getting  into  comparatively  comfortable  cir- 
cumstances for  a  backwoodsman,  when  suddenly  a 
great  calamity  came  upon  him.  When  from  home, 
his  house  with  nearly  all  of  this  world's  goods  he 
possessed,  burnt  to  the  ground,  two  of  his  little 
children  perishing  in  the  flames:  soon  after  this 
his  wife  stricken  down  with  grief  and  wasted  away 
by  sickness,  sank  into  her  grave.  The  misfortunes 
of  this  brave  man  did  not  end  here,  for  soon  he 
likewise  was  smitten  down  with  disease  which 
seemed  to  bring  him  down  to  the  very  brink  of  the 
grave.  When  he  had  sufficiently  recovered  his 
strength,  with  sad  heart  and  in  great  poverty  he 
turned  his  steps  toward  his  old  home  in  Kentucky. 
His  biographer  says :  "  After  spending  a  week  or 
two   with  his  mother,   who   lived  with  her  son 


A   KECAPITULATION. 


157 


Jonathan,  he  went  on  to  Wayne,  to  his  old  home 
on  the  Little  South  Fork  of  the  Cumberland,  for 
he  felt  the  need  of  his  brother  William's  counsel. 
He    found    awaiting    him    there,   a    letter    from 
Jeremiah  Vardeman,  who  had  heard  of  his  afflic- 
tions and  of  his  return  to  Kentucky.     That  faith- 
ful friend  wrote,  that  the  brethren  of  Elkhorn  had 
raised  a  contribution  for  his  benefit,  which  they 
would  shortly  send  to  him  by  his  friends ;  and  he 
urged  him  to  be  present  at  the  meeting  of  the 
Ta°tes  Creek  Association,  which  would   soon   be 
held  at  Crab  Orchard.     It  was  to  be  an  important 
meeting  of  the  churches,  he  said,  and  a  great  num- 
ber of  ministers  and  people  would  be  there.    Smith 
set  out  at  once  for  Crab  Orchard.  It  was  the  last 
of  August,  the  heat  was  great,  and  the  roads  were 
dusty  from  a  long-continued   drought.     Pufits  of 
hot  air  stirred  the  soil,  and  the  dust  almost  smoth- 
ered traveller  and  beast  as  they  sweltered  along  the 
highway.    His  horse  was  jaded  and  lean.     Across 
a  worn  and  weathered  saddle  he  had  thrown  a  pair 
of  tattered  saddle-bags  in  which  he  carried    his 
single  change  of  homespun  ;  this  he  was  keeping 
to  wear  on  Sunday,  the  great  day  of  the  Associa- 
tion.    He   reached   Crab   Orchard    on   Saturday, 


158 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


with  the  dust  of  the  journey  thick  upon  him.  He 
wore  a  pair  of  homespun  cotton  pantaloons,  striped 
with  copperas,  loose  enough,  but  far  to  short  for 
him,  and  a  cotton  coat,  once  checked  with  blue 
and  white,  but  now  of  undistinguishable  colors ; 
they  had  been  given  to  him  in  Alabama.  His 
shapeless  hat  was  streaked  with  sweat  and  dust. 
His  socks,  too  large  for  his  shrunken  ankles,  hung 
down  upon  his  foxy  shoes.  His  shirt  was  coarse 
and  dirty,  and  unbuttoned  at  the  neck ;  his  white 
cravat  was  in  the  coffin  of  his  wife.  He  hitched 
his  horse  far  off',  to  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and,  with 
his  saddle-bags  upon  his  arm,  walked  humbly  to- 
ward the  meeting-house.  A  great  crowd  loitered 
about  the  grounds,  but  no  familiar  face  was  there 
to  greet  him  witli  a  look  of  recognition. 

Great,  indeed,  was  his  humiliation ;  for  the 
shadow  of  the  wrathful  cloud  still  lay  dark  upon 
his  spirit.  So  unworthy  did  he  feel,  that  he  would 
have  shrunk  from  recognition,  even  by  Vardemari 
himself.  He  turned  aside  and  gave  way  to  every- 
one, thinking  it  not  strange  that  he  drew  upon 
himself  their  curious  stare,  or  met  their  looks  of 
pity  or  contempt.  He  reached  the  door  of  the 
meeting-house  and  stood  before  it.    Ministers  and 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


159 


happy  brethren    were    crowding    the   seats    and 
thronging  the  aisles  within.     Stepping  back,  that 
a  group  of  well  dressed  people  might  pass  in  be- 
fore him,  he  stood  for  a  moment  longer  before  the 
door  and  then  sat  down  upon  the  threshold.     He 
had  no  heart  to  venture  in,  and  he  was  weary  and 
faint  with  his  journey.     They  almost  trod    upon 
him  as  they  crowded  by  him,  for  no  one,  it  seemed, 
in  all  that  vast  assembly,  either  knew  or  cared  to 
know  him.     Soon  a  voice  within,  rich  as  music, 
caught  his  ear:  "  Brother  Moderator,  it  is  impossi- 
ble to  transact  the  business  of  the  Association  in 
the  midst  of  such  a  multitude  as  this.     Many  hun- 
dreds of  people  are  yet  without,  and  the  house  can 
hold  no   more.     Let  some  .one  be   appointed  to 
preach  to  the  people  from  the  stand.     This  will 
engage  the  crowd,  and  we  can  go  on  with  the  bus- 
iness of  the  morning."     It  was  the  voice  of  Jacob 
Creath.    While  John  Smith  was  listening,  for  the 
•first  time  in  his  life,  to  the  melody  of  that  voice, 
his   arm   was   grasped    by  an  old  friend,  named 
Thomas  Hansford,  who  had  just  recognized  him. 
Only  a  few  words  could  be  exchanged,  for  the  people 
begun  to  pour  out  of  the  house,  and  were  now  hurry- 
ing to  the  woods.     "  You  must  come  and  preach 


160 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


for  us,"  said  his  friend,"  the  people  will  be  glad  to 
hear  you.*'     "I  cannot  do  it,  brother  Hansford," 
said  he.     "  If  the  people  knew  but  half  my  story, 
they  would   not  want  to  hear  me.     They  would 
pity  and  excuse  me."     It  was  arranged  by  Thomas 
Hansford,  however,  that  Smith  should  occupy  the 
stand  with  two  others  that  had  just  been  appointed 
to  speak.     One  of  these  was  a  student  of  divinity, 
who  had  recently  come  out  from  Philadelphia,  in 
company  wath  Luther  Eice,  who  also  was  present 
on  that  occasion ;  the  other  was  an  awkward  and 
inexperienced    young    preacher  of  the  neighbor- 
hood; they  now  came  out  of  the  house  together 
and  passed  on  to  the  grove.     Smith  arose     and 
walked  after  them.     "  Why  does  that  dirty  fellow 
follow  us?"  said  one  of  these  young  ministers  to 
the   other,  glancing  behind    him.     Smith    heard 
him,  but  without  emotion.     He  had  been  so  hum- 
bled by  the  chastisement  of  heaven,  that  he  could 
not  now  feel  the  sneers  of  men.     When  he  reached 
the  stand  he  found  a  great  concourse  assembled. 
He  sat  down  on  a  log  near  by,  and  the  two  young 
ministers  went  up  on  the  stand.     They  arose   in 
turns,  to  speak  ;  but  each  after  a  vain  attempt,  had 
to  sit  down,  and  confess  his  need  of  grace  to  finish. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


161 


"If  the  Lord  will  not  give  it  to  me,  brethren,"  said 
one  of  them,  as  he  took  his  seat, "  I  cannot  get  it!" 
Thomas  Hansford,  and  another,  who  now  recog- 
nized Smith,  again  pressed  him  to  go  forward  and 
say   something  to  the    people,  who    were    disap- 
pointed, and  were  already  beginning  to  disperse. 
At  once  an  inspiration  seemed  to  move  him;  he 
lifted  up  his  head  and  sat  erect ;  he   arose,  and, 
with  a  firm  step,  walked  to  the  stand  and  stood  up 
before  the  people.     As    he   looked  around  upon 
them,  his  eye  kindled  and  his  spirit  was  stirred 
within  him.     The  multitude  stared  curiously  lor  a 
moment  at  the  uncouth  figure  before  them.     Some 
laughed  outright,  while  others  turned  away  from 
him,  and  left  the  ground.     He  saw  that,  unless  he 
employed    some   artifice    to   detain   them,  not  a 
hearer  w^ould  be  left.     With  a  noble  voice  such  as 
had  often  sounded  among  the  hills  of  Wayne,  he 
called  aloud:  "Stay  friends,  and  hear  what  the 
great  Augustine  said !"  and  they  all  stopped  to  lis- 
ten.    "  Augustine  wished  to  see  three  things  be- 
fore he  died,"  continued  Smith.     "  Rome  in  her 
glory  and  purity ;  Paul  on  Mar's  Hill ;  and  Jesus 
in   the  flesh."     A  few  now  sat  dow^n,  but  many 
smiled   and    started  ofl"   again.     "Will    you   not 
11 


162 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS, 


Stay,"  he  cried,  in  a  still  louder  voice,  "  and  hear 
what  the  great  Cato  said?"     Many  returned  and 
took  their  seats,  and  seemed  willing  to  be  amused. 
''  Cato,"  he  continued,  ''  repented  of  three  things 
before  his  death :  first,  that  he  had  ever  spent  an 
idle  day  ;  secondly,  that  he  had  ever  gone  a  voy- 
age on  water,  when  he  might  have  made  the  same 
journey  on  land ;  and  thirdly,  that  he  had  ever 
told  the  secrets  of  his  bosom  to  a  woman."     The 
people    continued    to    come  back,  and  began   to 
crowd  close  to  the  stand.     A  few  acquaintances, 
who  had  not  seen  him  for  a  long  time,  now  recog- 
nized him,  and  passed  the  word  among  the  crowd: 
'•It  is  John  Smith,  from  the  Little  South  Fork." 
Seeing  groups  of  persons  still  standing  in  the  dis- 
tance^he  called  again  with  all  the  strength  of  his 
heavy  voice  :  '•  Come  friends,  and  hear  what  the 
great  Thales  thanked  the  gods  for."     "  Let  us  go 
and  hear  the  fellow,"  said  one ;  "  there  may  be 
more  in  him  than  we  suppose."     And  they  all,  at 
last,  sat  down  near  by  to  listen.     "  Thales  thanked 
the  gods  for  three  things :  first,  that  he  was  en- 
dowed with  reason,  and  was  not  a  brute;  secondly, 
that  he  was  a  Greek  and  not   a  Barbarian,  and 
thirdly,  that  he  was  a  man  and  not  a  woman." 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


163 


"  And  now,  friends,  I  know  you  are  ready  to  ask: 
'  And  pray,  sir,  who  are  you?  What  have  you  to 
say  for  yourself? "'  "I  am  John  Smith,  from  Stock- 
ton's Valley.  In  more  recent  years,  I  have  lived 
in  Wayne,  among  the  rocks  and  hills  of  the  Cum- 
berland. Down  there,  saltpetre  caves  abound,  and 
raccoons  make  their  homes.  On  that  wild  fron- 
tier, we  never  had  good  schools,  nor  many  books ; 
consequently  I  stand  before  you  to-day,  a  man 
without  an  education.  But,  my  brethren,  even  in 
that  ill-favored  region,  the  Lord,  in  good  time, 
found  me.  He  showed  me  his  wondrous  grace, 
and  called  me  to  preach  the  everlasting  gospel  of 
his  Son."  "Redemption!  Redemption!!"  he 
shouted,  and  his  voice  sounded  through  the  woods 
like  the  tones  of  a  trumpet.  He  had  no  Bible,  but 
he  quoted  in  the  same  loud  voice,  his  text:  "He 
sent  redemption  to  his  people,  he  hath  commanded 
his  covenant  forever ;  holy  and  reverend  is  his 
name."  Psalm  iii:  9.  He  spoke  of  redemption, 
first,  as  conceived ;  secondly,  as  applied ;  and  third- 
ly, as  completed.  He  had  been  speaking  but  a 
short  time,  when  a  man,  w^bo  had  listened  with 
astonishment  to  his  exordium,  pressed  through  the 
audience  and  hurried  to  the  house,  and  going  up 


!! 


i 


i 


1(34  REMINISCENCES   AND   SEEMONS. 

to  Jacob  Creath,  begged  him  to  let  all  business 
alone,  and  to  come  out  immediately  to  tlie  stand. 
"Why,"  said  Creath,  "  what's  the  matter  ?"     "Sir," 
said  he,  "the  fellow  with  the  striped  coat  on,  that 
was  raised  among  the  'coons,  is  up ;  come  and  hear 
him  preach!      His    name   is    Smith."      "What! 
John  Smith?"  asked  Creath;  and  at  the  mention 
of  that  name,  the  tears  came  into  his  eyes,  for  he, 
too,  had  heard  the  story  of  Smith's  misfortunes. 
He  left  the  house  immediately,  and  went  out  to  the 
grove,  and  quietly  took  his  seat  upon  the  platform 
behind  the  speaker.     Others  soon  followed,  for  it 
was  noised  among  them  that  some  extraordinary 
scene  was  transpiring  without.     In  tact,  the  morn- 
ing session  of  the    Association   was  broken   up ; 
preachers   and  people   rushed   out  and  gathered 
about  the  pUitform.     Many   that  could  not  find 
seats  or  places  to  stand,  climbed  the  trees  close  by, 
and  the  very  saplings  swayed  with  people  eager  to 
Bee  and  hear.     Wlien   the    speaker  reached  the 
third  and  last  division  of  his  subject,  and  began  to 
paint  the  final  glory  of  God's  elect,  the  multitude 
arose  and  stood  upon  their  feet ;  and  when  he  clos- 
ed his   impassioned    exhortation,    every  eye  was 
weeping,  and  every  heart  and  lip  blessed  the  man 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


105 


without  an  education.     He  turned  to  find  a  seat  for 
he  was  exhausted.     Creath  rushed  toward  him  and 
clasped  him  in  his  arms.     They  had  never  met  be- 
fore, but,  from  that  day  they  never  met  without 
embracing.      "I   took  you  to  my  heart,   John," 
Creath  afterwards  said,  "  that  first  time  I  ever  saw 
you,  and  I  expect  to  do  so  every  time  I  meet  you, 
till  I  die."     All  the  preachers,  even  those  who  had 
reviled  iiim,  now  came  forward  to  grasp  his  hand; 
and  the  people  continued  for  some  time  to  press 
upon    him.     His    sad   story   passed  from    group 
to  group  that  day,  and  everyone  felt  for  him   a 
tearful  sympathy  and  tender  respect.     His  friend, 
Jeremiah   Vardeman,  had   been   prevented   from 
attending    the   association;  but  the    contribution 
which  he  had  raised,  amounting  to  $55.12J,  had 
been  safely  brought  by  the  hands  of   another." 
Elder  Smith  becoming  dissatisfied  with  his  posi- 
tion in  regard  to  the  subject  of  election,  made  a 
thorough   investigation    of  the  subject   with   the 
Bible  in  his  hand,  and  finally  rejected  his  previous 
Calvinistic  notions,  but  maintaining  his  position  in 
the  Baptist  church,  toiling  faithfully  for  the  salva- 
tion of  sinners  and   the  perfection  of  the  saints. 
On  some  points  of  doctrine,  his  great  mind  was 


166  REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 

Btill  beclouded ;  but  fortunately  he  got  hold  of  some 
of  the    early    numbers  ot  the    Christian   Baptist, 
the  publication  of  which  was  commenced  by  Alex- 
ander Campbell,  in  1823.     The  articles  from  the 
pen  of  Mr.  Campbell  were  so  clear  and  convincing, 
his  talks  at  the  fireside  so  open  and  candid,  and 
his  sermons  so  plain  and  unostentatious,  that  Eld- 
er Smith,  after  a   careful  examination,   was   con- 
strained to  adopt  most  of  Mr.  Campbell's  views,  and 
fioon   found  himself  with  John  T.  Johnson   and 
others  in  full  sympathy  and   active   co-operation 
with  the  reformatory  movement. 

He  and   others  finding  themselves  out  of  the 
Baptist   communion,  joined  hands  in   the  great 
movement,  Avhich  was  upheaving  religious  society 
in   Kentucky   and   some  bordering  communities. 
In  this  etibrt,  John  Smith  was  a  conspicuous  figure, 
riding  as  he  did  from   county  to  county,  holding 
meethigs,    preaching    with    great    boldness    and 
power,  and   gathering  in   scores  of  sinners,  and 
hundreds  from  the  denominations  who  flocked  to 
the  standard  of  the  Bible  and  the  Bible  alone.     At 
the   great  meeting  held   at  Lexington,  Ky.,  the 
first  of  January,  1832,  between  B.  W.  Stone  and 
those  associated  with  him,  and  those  associated 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


167 


with  A.  Campbell,  Stone  was  selected  to  speak  in 
behalf  of  the  Christians,  and  John  Smith  was  se- 
lected to  speak  in  behalf  of  the  Disciples.     The 
latter  spoke  first,  and  Avith  an  open  candor  well 
calculated  to  inspire  confidence,  and  a  tender  re- 
spect for  the  views  of  others  calculated  to  gain 
their  sympathy.     I  cannot  doubt  that  this  able  and 
well-timed  address  of  John  Smith  did  a  great  deal 
to  perfect  the  union  between  those  two  bodies  of 
Christian   people.     We   quote  the  following  sen- 
tences from  his  address  :    "  While  for  the  sake  of 
peace   and    Christian   union,   I    have  long  since 
waived  the  public  maintenance  of  any  speculation 
I  may  hold,  yet  not  one  gospel  fact,  command- 
ment, or  promise,  will  I  surrender  for  the  world ! " 
"Let   us,  then,  my  brethren,  be   no  longer   Camp- 
bellites  or  Stoneites,  New  Lights  or  Old  Lights,  or 
any  other  kind  of  lights,  but  let  us  all  come  to  the 
Bible,  and  to  the  Bible  alone,  as  the  only  book  in 
the  world  that  can  give  us  the  Light  we  need." 
His  arguments  and  illustrations  were  often  quaint, 
and  usually  very  forcible.    As  an  illustration  we 
quote  the  following  from  his  "Life:"     "At  Har- 
rodsburg,  he— Smith— found  Walter  Scott,  and  he 
soon  expressed  a  desire  to  have  an  interview  with 


168 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


him  and  John  T.  Johnson.     They  met  accordingly 
at  a  private  house,  and  while  sitting  in  the  parlor, 
with   a   number   of  brethren   and   sisters   around 
them,  Johnson  said  :     "  Brother  Smith,  is  the  mat- 
ter about  which  you  wish  to  talk  to  us  of  a  private 
nature,  or  can  you  communicate  it  before  the  breth- 
ren ?  "  "  Nothing  that  I  wish  to  say,"  replied  Smith, 
"needs   be    said    in    private."     "Proceed    then," 
said  Johnson;  and  all  present  gave  their  attention. 
"I  never  did  pretend,  brethren,  to  rank  myself 
with  great  men,   but  my   age   and  experience,  I 
hope,  will  give  me  the  privilege  of  expressing  my 
opinion  for  the   advantage   of  brethren   younger 
than  myself.     This  controversy  about  our  name  is 
likely  to  get  up  a  party  feeling  among  the  breth- 
ren, and  therefore,  it  ought  to  be  dropped.  Brother 
Campbell  has  quit  writing  about  it,  and  I  think 
you   should   all  do   the   same."     "Why,  Brother 
Smith,"  said  Scott,  with  some  enthusiasm  "I  have 
an   article   on  hand   which   I   shall   publish  next 
month  proving  conclusively  that  God  never  ac- 
knowledges his  people  or  their  works,  until  they 
receive  their  right  name."     "  If  you  prove  that," 
replied  Smith,  ''you  will  kill  a  thing  I  love  as  dear- 
ly as  I  do  my  own  life."     "What  is  that, Brother 


■4  m 


I'll  y'i^^rJril' 


.loiiN  Smith. 


A   RECAPITULATION, 


160 


I 


John?"     "The  name  Christian,"   replied  Smith. 
"How   will   we   do  that?"     "You   learned    men 
have  been  teaching  us  that  it  was  some  ten   or 
eleven  years  from  Pentecost  till  the  meeting  at 
Autioch.     Now  will  you  indeed  prove  that  God 
never   owned   the   disciples  of  Jesus,  nor  the  ten 
years  preaching  of  the  apostles,  nor  the  thousands 
of  converts  they  had  made,  till  the  time  of  that 
meeting  ?     This  surely  you  will  not  attempt  to  do. 
But  if  God  cannot  acknowledge  his  children  until 
they  have  the  right  name,  as  you  say— and  if,  how- 
ever, he  did  acknowledge  the  apostles  and  their 
works  before  the  Antioch  meeting— then  the  name 
disciple,  by   which   they    have   previously   been 
called,  is  the  right  one,  and  that  of  Christian  is 
gone   forever!"     "But,    brother   John,"    replied 
Scott,  "  only  one-half  of  the   Christian  body  was 
formed  within  that  period.    The  church  was  then 
composed  of  Jewish  Christians,  but  when  the  other 
half  was  added  from  the  Gentile  world,  the  whole 
received  its  right  name."     "  Now,  just  think  of  it 
brethren!"      Smith    rejoined.      "The   church   of 
Christ,  during  all  that  time,  with  its  thousands  of 
members,  and  the  apostles  at  their  head,  was  not  a 
body,  but  a  one-legged,  one-breasted,  one-armed, 


170 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


one-eyed,  nameless  thing,  waiting  for  its  fellow-half, 
to  get  a  name  ! "  "  Really,  that  won't  do,  Brother 
John,"  said  Scott.  "No,  Walter;  and  if  you  had 
not  been  hypoed  in  some  way,  you  would  have  seen 
that  it  would  not  do."  "But,  Brother  Smith," 
asked  Scott  "Don't  you  and  your  wife  give  your 
children  names?"  "Walter,  replied  Smith, 
"you  and  other  great  men  have  been  writing 
much  about  the  patronymic,  or  family  name. 
Now,  Nancy  and  I  were  so  ignorant  that  we 
thought  our  children  were  all  born  Smiths — that 
they  were  entitled  to  the  patronymic  name  by  virtue 
of  their  birth.  True,  we  give  them  proper  names, 
in  order  to  distinguish  them  from  one  another,  but 
we  never  had  any  other  idea  than  that  they  were 
all  Smiths  when  born.  Did  you  ever  quarrel 
about  whether  your  children  should  receive,  by  in- 
heritance, your  family  name?" 

Scott  was  silent;  the  general  laugh  that  followed 
relieved  him  from  any  reply,  and  Smith  let  fly 
another  shaft.  "AValter,"  continued  he,  "you  re- 
cently wrote  a  piece  inviting  the  brethren  to  send 
you  their  written  views  as  to  the  time  when  it  was 
proper  to  confer  the  name  Christian.  Now  I  do 
wish  that  some  school-girl  had  been  at  your  elbow 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


171 


when  you  thus  wrote,  and  told  you  that  it  was 
when  baptized  into  Christ,  and  thus  put  him  on 

being  born   into  the  kingdom  and  the  name, 

when  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit;  and  that 
you  had  no  more  right  or  authority  to  confer  it  by 
a  subsequent  ceremony  than  you  had  to  celebrate 
the  Romish  mass." 

"  Suppose,"  Smith  still  persisted,  without  mercy, 
"  that  I  had  been  called  on  to  celebrate  the  rites  of 
matrimony  between  you  and  your  sister  wife;  that, 
in  a  few  days  afterward,  I  had  returned,  and,  call- 
ing your  friends  together,  summoned  you  up  to 
the  parlor,  and  informed  our  sister  that  I  had  come 
to  confer  upon  her,  her  new  name— that  it  was 
now  proper  that   she    should  take   upon  herself 
your  name;  would  she  not,  with   much   surprise, 
have  informed  me  that  she  had  already  acquired 
that  name  by  virtue  of  the  law  that  had  made  her 
your  wife,  and  that  she  would  continue  to  wear  it, 
too,  as  long  as  she  lived,  without  the  aid  of  my 
pow-wowing?"     It  may  be  added  that  the  articles 
with  which  the  church  was,  at  that  time,  threat- 
ened, never  made  their  appearance. 

Many  anecdotes  are   told  about  Smith's  quick 
wit,  and  sharp  replies,  the  flashes  sometimes  com- 


172 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS, 


ing  when  least  expected.    Who  hut  he  would  ever 
have  thought,  upon   coming  up   from  the  water 
after  baptizing,  of  seizing   a  Methodist  minister 
and  dragging  him  to  the  water's  edge  as  though 
determined  to  dip  him  in  spite  of  his  earnest  protes- 
tations ?    When  told  by  the  unwilling  subject  that 
without  his  consent  such  a  baptism  would  be  of 
no  benefit  to  him.  Smith's  reply  was,  that  this  was 
just  the  way  that  he  treated  the  helpless  babies. 
The  logic  seemed  to  be  apparent,  that  if  a  want  of 
consent,  and  even  actual  force  was  used  in  the  one 
case,  there  was  no  good  reason  that  it  should  not 
be  in  the  other. 

Even  at  an  advanced  age,  John  Smith  spoke 
with  power;  his  palsied  hands,  his  white 
hair,  and  his  line  head  making  him  a  vener- 
able figure  in  the  pulpit.  He  died  in  Mexico,  Mis- 
souri, on  the  28th  day  of  Febuary,  1868,  in  the 
eighty-fourth  year  of  his  age,  and  in  the  full  assur- 
ance of  faith.  Just  before  he  died:  "My  pros- 
pects are  entirely  satisfactory.  I  have  no  fears 
whatever  about  the  future.  I  am  nearly  home.  I 
am  as  calm  and  as  much  composed  as  I  ever  was 
in  my  life ;  and  I  leave  the  earth  with  but  one  sin- 
gle regret.     My  sons-in-law  are  not  Christians. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


173 


What  would  this  whole  world  avail  me  now,  if  I 
had  not  tried  to  live  a  Christian ! "  The  amount 
of  good  accomplished  by  this  great  preacher,  run- 
ning through  a  period  of  over  half  a  century,  and 
extending  over  such  a  vast  area,  can  hardly  be  es- 
timated ;  and  as  to  the  ultimate  results  they  are  of 
course  beyond  computation. 

John  T.  Johnson.     This   great  evangelist  was 
born  in  Scott  County,  Kentucky,  October  5,  1788, 
and  after  completing  his  education,  studied  law  in 
in  the  oflice  of  his  brother  Richard,  in  George- 
town, where  he  commenced  the   practice  of  his 
profession.    Tpon  the  breaking  out  of  the  war  of 
1812,  a  large  number  of  young  men,  many  of  them 
from  the  best  families  of  Kentucky,  promptly  vol- 
teered  to  march  to  the  defense  of  their  country. 
Among  these  were  three  sons  of  Robert  Johnson  : 
Richard  M.,  James,  and  John  T.,  who  all  did  gal- 
lant service,  John  T.  having  his  horse  shot  under 
him.     After  returning  home,  the  latter  resumed 
the  practice  of  law  at  Georgetown,  but  being  very 
popular  he  was  elected  to  represent  his  county  in 
the  State  Legislature  in  1814,  1815,  1817  and  1818. 
He  represented  his  district  in  Congress  from  1821 
to  1825.     In  December  1826,  he  was  appointed  by 


174 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


Governor  Desha,  a  new  Court  Judge  of  Appeals 
of  Kentucky,  a  position   he  held  for  about  nine 
months.     He  was  again  returned  to  the  State  Leg- 
islature in  1828.     Since  1821  he  had  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  but  in  1831  embraced 
the    principles  of  the    reformation.     Seeming  to 
realize  the  full  force  of  the  statement  he  so  earn- 
estly and  so  often  made  in  the  pulpit  "  that  Chris- 
tianity is  worth  everything,  or  is  worth  nothing  " 
and  that  all  he  had,  and  all  he  could  command, 
belonged  to  the  Master ;  he  gave  up  the  law,  laid 
aside  all  political  aspirations,  and  with  his  Bible  in 
his  hand,  went  forth  as  an  itinerant  preacher,  pro- 
claiming the  glad  tidings  of  salvation,  far  and  near, 
and  without  any  stipulated  money  remuneration. 
In  his  extensive  travels  through  Kentucky,  and  into 
other  states,  he  usually  had  with  him  some  faithful 
brother,  such  as  John  Rogers,  Samuel  Rogers,  Ja- 
cob  Creath,  and  sometimes  a  young  Timothy,  who 
would  assist  in  his  meetings.     At  this  time  the 
brethren  having  few  houses  of  worship,  meetings 
were  often  held  in  private  houses,  sometimes  in 
school  houses,  or  other    public  buildings,  and  in 
favorable  weather  in  open  groves.     The  immer- 
sions took  place  in  ponds,  creeks  and  rivers;  bap- 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


175 


tisteries  as  yet  being  unknown  among  us.     The 
preacher's  pay  for  holding  a  protracted  meeting 
was  in  many  instances  ridiculously  small,  a  few 
dollars  in   money,   or   some   articles   of   wearing 
apparel,  prepared  by  the  sisters,  being  the  sum  of 
donations  given  him.     He  generally,  however,  met 
with  a  warm  welcome,  and  most  hospitable  treat- 
ment among  the  brethren,  who  gladly  attended 
meeting,  and  rejoiced  in  its  success.     At  this  time 
and  for  some  years  later  there  was  waged  a  strong 
war  of  opposition  to  this  new  movement ;  but  the 
cry   that  these    people   were   heterodox  in   their 
teachings,  that  they  simply  believed  in  water  bap- 
tism, without  any  requirement  of  heartfelt  religion 
upon  the  part  of  candidates  for  admission  into  the 
church,  seemed  to  excite  curiosity  in  the  people  to 
hear  this  strange  doctrine.     Many  flocked  to  the 
meetings,  and  when  such  a  man  as  John  T.  John- 
son, with  all  his  earnestness  of  manner,  would  con- 
tend   for    primitive  Christianity,  with   the    Bible 
alone  as  an  all-sufficient  rule  of  faith  and  worship, 
they  would  listen  with  attention,  and  before  the 
meeting  would  close  would  enlist  under  the  ban- 
ner of  the  Great  Captain  of  our  salvation.     I  first 
met  John  T.  Johnson  while  preaching  in  Mason 


176 


REMl-NItJCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


and  Bracken  Counties,  Kentucky,  and  later  at  his 
own  borne  in  Georgetown,  where  he  had  such  a 
wide  influence,  both  in  the  church  and  out  of  it. 
He  took  an  active  part  in  obtaining  the  charter  for 
Bacon  College  in  1836,  the  first  session  of  which 
was  taught  in   the   house    just    vacated    by  his 
brother  Henry.     He  was  a  very  active  supporter 
of  the  college,  and  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
trustees.    Later  on,  when  tlie  Midway  Female  Or- 
phan School  was  established,  he    strongly  advo- 
cated its  claims,  and  worked  to  put  it  on  a  firm 
basis.    While   on  his    preaching  tours  he   made 
strong  appeals  to   the  brethren  in  behalf  of  this 
home  for  the  orphan,  and  for  the  support  of  Bacon 
College.    It  has  been  estimated  that  this  earnest 
preacher  was  instrumental  in  bringing  over  three 
thousand  people  into  the  church,  thus  exerting  a 
wonderful  influence  in  the  great  work  then  goi.ig 
on  in  the  AVest,  and  especially  in  Kentucky,  which 
seemed  to  be  an  active  center  of  operations.    But, 
while  John  T.  Johnson's  greatest  work  was  evi- 
dently in  the  field,  and  while  his  earnest  sympa- 
thizing voice  was  heard  from  so  many  pulpits  in 
his  own  and  neighboring  states,  his  pen  was  not 
idle.     In  1832,  he  joined  Barton  W.  Stone  as  co- 


John  T.  Johnson. 


A  RECAPITULATION. 


177 


editor   of    the    Christian    Messenger,  and    worked 
shoulder  to  shoulder  with  that  good  man  for  the 
union  of  God's  people,  especially  in  the  State  of 
Kentucky.     These  two  men  held  different  views  on 
some  points  of  doctrine,  but  as  there  was  perfect 
agreement  between  them  as  to  what  a  man  must 
believe,  and  what  he  must  do  to  be  saved,  each 
one  was  permitted  to  hold  his  private  opinions,  so 
long  as  they  were  not  made  tests  of  church  fellow- 
ship.    Thus  they   moved  on  in  harmony  in  the 
prosecution  of  the  good  work,  coming  closer  and 
closer  together,  as  they  more  critically  examined 
the   exact  teaching  of   the  book.     Barton  Stone 
moved  to  Springfield,  Illinois,  in  1834,  continuing 
the  publication  of  the  Messenger  at  that    point. 
After  the  severance  of  this -pleasant  editorial  con- 
nection, John  T.  Johnson  in  1835  engaged  in  edit- 
ing The  Gospel  Advocate,   and  in  1837   in  editing 
The  Christian? 

The  evangelist  was  a  man  of  medium  height, 
rather  slender,  with  dark,  expressive  eyes  and  a 
bright,  genial  countenance.  I  well  remember  his 
earnest  manner  in  the  pulpit,  and  his  genial 
attractive  manners  in  the  private  circle.  He  was  a 
model  in  regard  to  purity  of  character,  of  unswerv- 
12 


178 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


ing  faith,  and  unflagging  zeal.  He  had  a  great 
sympathetic  heart,  always  ready  to  engage  in  good 
works  ;  and  of  these  he  seemed  to  place  the  salva- 
tion of  sinners  as  the  very  first.  In  speaking  of  acces- 
sions to  the  church,  he  would  so  often  say,  so  many 
"  noble  '^  young  ladies,  or  so  many  "  noble''  young 
men,  had  made  the  confession  ;  as  though  this  was 
the  most  ennobling  act  of  their  lives.  This  aged 
patriarch  died  in  Lexington,  Missouri,  on  the  17th 
of  December,  1856.  He  died  with  his  armor  on, 
havino-  o-one  to  Missouri  to  make  one  more  fight  for 
the  Master ;  and  leaving  behind  him  a  bright  ex- 
ample, and    the   influence  of   a  great  and   noble 

work. 

Walter  Scott  was  another  prominent  figure  who 
contended  earnestly  for  a  return  to  apostolic  teach- 
ing and  practice.  He  was  born,  raised  and  edu- 
cated in  Scotland,  and  I  believe,  was  distantly  re- 
lated to  Sir  Walter  Scott,  being  of  the  same  clan. 
Ilocame  to  America  when  a  young  man,  and  as 
early  as  1827,  we  find  he  was  preaching  and  bap- 
tizino-  for  the  remission  of  sins,  witliin  the  bounds 
of  the  Mahoning  Association  in  northern  Ohio. 
Elder  John  Secrest,  who  was  laboring  in  the  same 
field,  and  preaching  the  same  doctrine,  is  said  by 


Walter  Scott. 


A   RECAPITULATION. 


179 


» 


i 


one  writer  to  have  baptized  more  persons,  perhaps, 
than  any   other  uninspired  man   ever  did  in  the 
same  length  of  time.      Indeed,  the  preaching  of 
this  zealons  and  attractive  young  man,  presenting 
the  gospel  as  he  did  in  its  simplest  and  most  at- 
tractive form,  not  only   drew  together  attentive 
crowds,  but  was  followed  by  great  numbers  flock- 
ing into  the  fold.     He  was  employed  by  the  Asso- 
ciation to  continue  his  labors  during  the  next  year, 
and  after  his  successful  work  in  this  field,  and  in 
the  city  of  Pittsburg  and  vicinity,  he  removed  to 
a  village  near  Cincinnati,  where  for  some  time  he 
conducted  a  religious  paper.     In  his  preaching  ex- 
cursions he  would  sometimes  go  over  into  Ken- 
tucky where  he  was  a  most  welcome  visitor,  and 
was  listened  to  with  great  interest.     Indeed  he  was 
so  highly  esteemed  in  Kentucky  as  a  preacher,  a 
writer,  and  an  accomplished   scholar,  that  when 
Bacon  College  was  organized,   at  Georgetown  in 
1836,  he  was  elected  president  of  the  institution. 
After  resigning  his  position,  he  resumed  the  field, 
preachin  g  at  various  points,  a  considerable  portion  of 
his  time  being  spent  in  Kentucky.     Brother  Scott 
was  a  classical  scholar,  and  wrote  with  fluency  and 
force— his  "Great    Demonstration"   showing  de- 


n 


180 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


cided  genius,  and  a  masterly  power  of  generaliza- 
tion.     He  was  of   a   medium   stature;  his  noble 
head,  fine   classical   face,    and  graceful   manners 
making  him   an   attractive  figure  in   the   pulpit. 
His  language  was  well  selected,  liis  gestures  easy, 
and  some  of  his  bursts  of  eloquence  truly  grand. 
He  was  charming  in  the  private  circle,  where  he 
was  very  genial  and  as  unsophisticated  as  a  child. 
He   not   only   wrote  poetry  with  fluency,  but    it 
seems,  committed  it  to  memory  with  great  facility. 
It  would  be  no  light  task  Avitli  most  men,  already 
arrived  at  middle  age,  and  occupied  in  preaching 
and  writing,  as  Brother  Scott  was,  to  commit  to 
memory,  in  a  short  time,  every  one  of  the  one 
hundred  and  fifty  Tsalms.     And  then  what  a  treat 
to  hear  him,  in  his  rich  melodious  voice,  repeat 
one  of  these  beautiful  Psalms  and  make  his  com- 
ments on  it.      Brother  Scott  had  a  great  sympa- 
thetic heart;  his  charity  being  bounded  alone  by 
his  means.     On  one  occasion,  it  is  said,  the  case  of 
a  needy  widow  was  mentioned,   and  a  collection 
taken  up.     Some  surprise  being  evinced  at  finding 
a  ten-dollar  bill  in  the  hat,   and  a   curiosity   to 
know  who  the  liberal  donor  could  be,  it  was  trac- 
ed to  Brother  Scott,     He  had  just  received  this 


A    RECAPITULATION. 


181 


sum  for  preaching,  and  it  is  said  it  was  every  dol- 
lar he  had  at  the  time.  I  presume  that  no  one 
who  had  enjoyed  an  intimate  acquaintance  with 
this  great  and  good  man,  who  heard  him  in  the 
pulpit,  and  felt  his  genial  influence  in  the  private 
circle,  has  forgotten*  his  fine  face,  or  his  bright 
cheerful  manner.  When  we  look  back  at  the 
o-reat  work  which  this  faithful  man  accomplished, 
as  well  as  the  fine  Christian  influence  he  exerted 
upon  those  around  him,  we  can  but  regard  him 
as  one  of  the  great  lights  of  the  reformatory 
movement  of  the  nineteenth  century. 

In  conclusion,  my  brethren,  I  have  for  more  than 
fifty  years  been  a  member  of  the  church  of  Christ; 
and  knowing  that  I  must  shortly  put  oft*  this  my 
tabernacle,  I  will  endeavor  to  admonish  you,  that 
ye  may  be  able  after  my  decease  to  have  these 
things  always  in  remembrance,  *'for  ye  are  come 
unto  Mount  Sion  and  unto  the  city  of  the  living 
God,  the  heavenly  Jerusalem,  and  to  an  innumer- 
able company  of  angels,  the  general  assembly  and 
church  of  the  first-born  which  are  written  in 
heaven,  and  to  God  the  judge  of  all,  and  to  the 
spirits  of  just  7nen  made  perfect,  and  to  Jesus  the 
mediator   of  the   new  Covenant."     Therefore  be 


182 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


faithful  and  valiant;  and  ever  cherish  the  memory 
of  the  early  pioneers  in  the  Christian  reformation ; 
they  were  as  meek  and  gentle  as  children,  yet  vali- 
ant for  the  truth.     Cherish  brotherly  love,  remem- 
bering that  God's  children  are  not  confined  to  any 
one  church.     They  will  come  from  the  East  and 
the  South,  the  North  and  the  West,  and  sit  down 
with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven.     We  all   need  more   of   that    deep-toned 
piety  and  godly  sincerity  that  was  conspicuous  in 
those  early  reformers.     Let    us   suffer   long   and 
then  be  kind,  forgiving  one  another  even  as  God 
for  Christ's  sake  hath  forgiven  us. 

The  author  acknowledges  himself  indebted  for 
information  in  these  reminiscences,  to  A.  Camp- 
bell, James  Mathes,  Levi  Purviance,  and  to  his 
brothers,  L.  J.  Frazee,  M.  D.,  and  Elder  E.  S. 
Frazecc 


CHAPTEE  VII. 


THE    OFFICE   OF   THE   HOLY   SPIRIT 
IN   CONVERSION. 

T^omans   viii*  14,  15,  16,    "For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the 
spfrrofGU  hey  are  the  sons  of  God,  for  ye  have  not  received 

Ee  pVrirof'bonW  again  to  fear;  but  y%^^Zr""%he'l^r^ 
spirit  of  adoption,  whereby  we  cry,  Abba,  Father  The  h^pir it 
iteelf  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the  children 
of  God." 

I  HAVE  selected  this  portion  of  the  word  of  God 
that  we  might  for  a  short  time  consider  the 
office  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in  conversion  and  sanc- 
tification ;  a  subject  which  we  should  all   under- 
stand, and  why  it  is  shrouded  in  so  much  darkness 
and  obscurity  is  strange*,  as  scripture  makes  it  as 
plain  as  any  subject  I  could  call  your  attention  to. 
I  suppose  it  is  because  persons  will  not  go  to  the 
word  of  the  Lord  to  see  what  it  teaches  upon  this 
important  subject,  yet  we  should  have  more  con^ 
iidence  in  the  divine  teaching  than  in  all  the  unin. 
spired  men  on  the  earth,  yet  men  will  difter  from 
us  for  they  will  not  hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to 
churches. 

It  is  frequently  the  case,  that  when  our  oppos. 

(183) 


184 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


ers  refer  to  our  views  on  this  subject,  that  they  tell 
their  hearers  that  if  men  are  ever  converted,  God 
must  do  it,  and  it  is  said  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
leave  the  impression  on  the  mind  of  unsuspect- 
ing hearers,  that  we  deny  it;  but  on  this  point,  we 
can  confidently  state  that  God  has  converted  every 
sinner  that  has  been  converted  since  Christ  was 
here  in  the  flesh. 

Another,  in  opposing  our  dangerous  doctrine, 
as  he  is  pleased  to  call  it,  informs  his  audience,  that 
all  who  are  converted  to  God,  are  converted  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  and  by  the  power  of  God ;  this,  too,  is 
done  in  such  a  manner  as  to  leave  the  impression 
that  we  deny  it ;  but  on  this  point,  also,  we  can 
state  with  fullest  confidence  that  every  soul  that  is 
converted  to  the  Lord  is  converted  by  the  Holy 
Spirit  and  by  the  power  of  God,  nor  can  any  man 
call  Jesus  Lord,  but  by  the  Holy  Spirit. 

Another  man  appears  upon  the  stage  and  in- 
forms his  audience  that  the  heart  of  man  is  changed 
by  faith,  and  that  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  con- 
sequently that  no  man  is  converted  unless  God 
gives  him  faith,  and  that  this  faith  that  God  gives 
changes  the  heart  and  converts  him  to  the  Savior. 
This,  too,  is  done  in  such  a  manner  as  to  make  the 


THE    OFFICE    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


185 


impression  that  we  deny  it;  but  on  this  point  we 
can  also  state  in  the  clearest  terms,  that  every  per- 
son who  is  converted  to  God  is  converted  by  faith, 
and  that  this  faith  which  changes  the  heart  is  the 
gift  of  God,  and  that  no  one  is  ever  converted  to 
the  Lord  until  God  gives  him  faith  which  changes 
the  sinner's  heart  and  converts  him  to  the  Lord. 

Do  I  hear  some  one  inquire  at  this  point,  ^Wliat, 
then,  is  the  diflerence  between  you  and  your  oppos- 
ers  ?     I  reply,  that  the  difference  is  not  that  our  op- 
posers  believe  that  God  converts  men,  and  that  we 
deny  it;  but,  while  we  all  agrecthat  God  converts 
men,  we  disagree  as  to  how  he  does  it.     The  differ- 
ence between  us  and  others  is  not  that  they  believe 
that  persons  are  converted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  and 
we  deny  it ;  but  while  we  agree  that    personsare 
converted  by  the  Holy  Spirit,  we   disagree  as  to 
how  it  is  done.     The  difference  between  us  and  our 
friends  who  oppose  us  is  not  that  they  believe  that 
persons  are  converted  by  the  power  of  God,  and  we 
deny  that  the  sinner  is  converted  by  the  power  of  God. 
We  disagree  as  to  how  the  sinner  is  converted  by  the 
power  of  God.    The  difference  is  not  that  others  be- 
lieve that  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  that  the  sin- 
ner is  converted  by  the  faith  that  God  gives  him, 


186 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


and  that  we  deny  it;  but,  while  we  all  agree  that 
faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  that  the  sinner  is  not 
converted  until  God  gives  faith,  and  that  this  faith 
changes  his  heart  and  converts  him;  we  disagree  as 
to  how  God  gives  this  faith  and  how  it  converts 
men.  You  see  that  it  is  not  the  thing  itself  that 
we  disagree  about,  but  we  only  disagree  about  the 
how. 

Let  us  now  appeal  to  the  sacred  oracles  and  see 
what  they  teach  upon  this  all-important  theme. 
*«To  the  law  and  to  the  testimony,  says  the  prophet, 
if  they  speak  not  according  to  these,  it  is  because 
there  is  no  light  in  them."  It  is  a  religious  truth 
that  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  and  that  God  gives  it 
by  the  Holy  Spirit,  but  the  question  how  he  gives 
it  is  the  one  to  be  decided. 

"We  will  now  call  up  our  witnesses  and  hear 
them  testify  upon  this  transcendently  important 
question.  And  first,  we  will  hear  our  adorable  Ee- 
deemer  in  that  most  solemn  prayer  to  his  Father 
nist  before  he  suffered,  as  recorded  in  the  17th 
i.hapter  of  Jotnf  "ITeither  pray  I  for  these  alone, 
but  for  tliem  also,  who  shall  helieve  on  mc  through 
their  word."  Tlie  Lord  here  prays  for  a  certain 
class  and  certainly  all  good  persons  desire  to  he 


THE    OFFICE    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIBIX. 


187 


included  in  that  class.    What  class  was  that  for 
which  he  prayed?    Was  it  that  class  which  receives 
faith  directly  from  heaven  without  the  instrument- 
ality ot  the  word?     Certainly  not.    Y/hat  class  is 
it,  then,  for  which  he  prays  ?    He  answers :  "  For 
those  also  who  shall  helieve  on  me  fhrourjh  their 
wonir     This  language  is  as  clear  and  conclusive  as 
I  could  wish,  and  proves  heyond  all  douht  that  God 
gives  faith  hy  hearing  the  words  of  the  apostles. 

We  will  next  hear  the  testimony  of  St.  John,  the 
apostle,  andholovcd  disciple  of  the  Lord,  as  recorded 
in  the  21st  chapter  of  his  gospel.    "Many  other  signs 
truly  did  Jesus  in  the  presence  of  his  disciples  which 
are  not  written  in  this  hook,  hut  these  are  loriiten 
that  yon  mi'/ht  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ  the  Son 
of  God ;  and  that  hclieving  you  might  have  life 
through  his  name."     What  does  the  apostle  say 
was  his  ohject  in  writing ?     "  TJiat  yon  might  believe:' 
Language  cannot  he  more  explicit  than  this.     But 
some  one  says,  "  Here  is  your  mistake,  sir ;  that  is 
mere  historical  faith ;  I  want  saving  faith."     Well, 
let  us  see  what  sort  of  faith  the  apostle  is  speaking 
of;  we  wish  to  make  no  mistake.    How  does  it 
read  ?     "  These  are  written  that  you  might  helieve, 
and  believing   you  might  have  life   through  his 


188 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


name."  raitli  tliat  can  give  life  through  the  name 
of  the  Son  of  God  is  undoubtedly  saving  faith. 
Can  there  be  any  better  faith  than  this?  Can  any 
man  oppose  this  faith  and  be  a  good  man  ? 

We  will  next  hear  the  testimony  of  the  apostle 
Tiiter,  to  whom  the  keys  of  the  kingdom  were 
committed.     He  attended  that  great  convention  of 
apostles,  elders  and  disciples,  which  convened  at 
Jerusalem  to  settle  the  dispute  on  circumcision. 
After  much  debating  had  taken  place,  the  apostle 
arose  and  opened  his  speech  in  this  interesting  lan- 
guage: ''Men  and  brethren,  you  know  how  that  a 
good  while  ago  God  made  choice  among  us  that 
the  Gentiles  by  my  mouth  should  hear  the  word  of 
the  gospel,  and  believe."     Could  language  express 
any  sentiment  more  clearly  than   Peter  here  as- 
serts. That  God  made  choice  among  the  apostles, 
that  by  the  mouth  of  Peter  that  the  Gentiles  should 
hear  the  word  of  the  gospel  and  believe  ?    Whoever, 
then,  opposes  the  doctrine  that  faith  comes  through 
hearing  the  word  of  the  gospel  as  proclaimed  by 
the  apostles,  opposes  the  choice  of  God.     See  Acts 
XV  :  7. 

We  will  now  hear  our  fourth  witness ;  the  great 
apostle  to  the    Gentiles    as  recorded  in  the  tenth 


THE    OFFICE    OF    THE    HOLY    SPIRIT. 


189 


chapter    of   his    epistle    to    the    Eomans:     "So 
then,  faith  cometh  by  hearing  and  hearing  by  the 
word  of  God."     But,  we  are  sometimes  told,  that 
we  should  pray  for  faith,  indeed,  we  often  hear 
people  in  our  day  praying  for  faith.     But  Paul  did 
not  so  understand  it.     He  first  quotes  the  language 
of  God:    "It  shall  come  to    pass  that  whosoever 
shall  call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  shall  be  saved;" 
then  he  gives  us  the  following  reasoning  on  the 
subject:  "How  then  shall  they  call  on  liim  in  whom 
they  have  not  believed  ?     And  how  shall  they  be- 
lieve in  him  of  whom  they  have  not  heard  ?     And 
how  shall  they  hear  without  a  preacher,  and  how 
shall  they  preach  except  they  be  sent  ?"     Thus  the 
apostle  explodes   forever   the  notion  that  a   man 
can  pray  without  faith.     If  then  the  apostle  had 
not  been  sent,  they  never  could  have  preached,  we 
never  could  have  heard  the  word,  and  if  we  had 
not  heard  the  word,  we  could  not  have  believed, 
and  if  we  had  not  believed,  we   could   not  have 
called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord,  and  if  we  had  not 
called  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  we  could  not  have 
been  saved. 

We  now  have  the  testimony  of  the  Savior,  that 
f\uth  is  given  through  the  word  of  the  apostles; 


190 


REMINISCKNCES   AND   SERMONS. 


and  the  testimony  of  the  apostle  John,  that  he 
wrote  that  you  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  you 
might  have  life  through  his  name ;  and  we  have 
the  testimony  of  the  apostle  Peter,  that  it  was  the 
choice  of  God  that  the  Gentiles  should  hear  the 
gospel  by  his  mouth ;  and  we  have  also  the  testi- 
mony of  the  apostle  Paul,  that  faith  comes  by  hear- 
ing, and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God.  Thus  we 
have  established  beyond  all  doubt,  that  faith  comes 
through  the  word  of  God,  and  that  a  person  can- 
not call  on  the  name  of  the  Lord  without  faith. 

If  anyone  will  not  be  convinced  by  the  testi- 
mony of  four  such  witnesses  as  these,  we  pro- 
nounce him  beyond  the  reach  ot  Bible  testimony. 
He  may  have  eyes,  but  he  sees  not;  ears  he  may 
have,  but  he  hears  not;  a  heart  he  may  have,  but 
yet  he  understandeth  not;  for  he  has  shut  his  eyes, 
and  stopped  his  ears,  and  closed  his  heart,  lest  he 
should  see  with  his  eyes,  hear  with  his  ears,  and 
understand  with  his  heart,  and  the  Lord  should 

convert  him. 

But  we  are  next  to  show  how  God  gives  faith  by 
the  Holy  Spirit.  We  will  first  inquire  of  Peter, 
how  we  get  this  gospel  through  which  we  believe. 


THE   OFFICE   OF   THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 


191 


He  answers,  "  It  was  preached  with  the  Holy  Ghost 
sent  down  from  heaven."     We  will   next  hear 
Luke  on   this  point,  he  certifies,  "  The  apostles 
spoke  as  the  Holy  Spirit  gave  them  utterance." 
And  now  Paul,  we  will  hear  you  again.  He  testifies, 
"  We  speak  not  the  words  which  man's  wisdom 
teaches,  but    which    the  Holy  Spirit    teacheth." 
And  fourth,  our  Lord  commands  Christians  to 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches.    Where, 
then,  do  we  find  this  gospel    that  was  preached 
with  the  Holy   Spirit  sent  down   from  heaven? 
This  language  which  was   spoken   as  the  Holy 
Spirit  gave    utterance?     Those  words  which  the 
Holy  Spirit  speaks  ?  and  what  the  Spirit  saith  to 
the  churches  ?    We  find  it  spread  out  on  the  pages 
of  this  divine  volume  and  nowhere  else.     The  lan- 
euaee  and  the  testimony  of  the  sacred  oracles  are 
the  language  and  testimony  of  the  Holy  fepirit. 

We  have  now  shown  that  whoever  believes  on 
the  Lord,  believes  through  the  scriptures ;  and 
whoever  believes  through  the  testimony  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  recorded  in  this  divine  volume,  is 
made  a  believer  by  the  Holy  Spirit ;  from  this 
there  can  be  no  escape. 

But  how  is  it  that  men  are  converted  by  the 


192 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


power  of  God  ?  Taul  says  in  the  first  chapter  of 
his  epistle  to  the  Romans,  that  "  the  gospel  is  the 
power  of  God  unto  salvation  to  everyone  that  be- 
lieveth,"  consequently  all  who  are  converted  by 
the  gospel,  which  is  dictated  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
are  converted  by  the  power  of  God. 

God  then  converts  men  by  giving  them  faith, 
and  this  faith  he  gives  by  the  Holy  Spirit  through 
the  apostles,  and  through  their  word.  This  word 
was  preached  with  the  Holy  Spirit  sent  down  from 
heaven  and  consequently  all  it  contains  and  what- 
ever effect  or  influence  it  has,  must  be  divine. 

The  divine  being  operates  through  the  divine 
Spirit,  the  divine  apostles,  and  the  divine  word, 
which  is  divine  power,  and  produces  divine  faith, 
which  purifies  or  changes  the  heart.  Is  not  this 
change  or  purification  produced  by  these  divine 
means  a  divine  change  or  purification?    All  must 

admit  that  it  is. 

Now  let  us  take  an  example  and  see  whether  we 
are  correct  in  all  this.  On  the  day  of  Pentecost 
the  apostles  stood  up  for  the  first  time  after  their 
endowment  with  power  from  on  high,  under  the 
full  and  complete  influence  of  God's  own  inspira- 
tion, and  through  them  the  Divine  Father  by  the 


THE   OFFICE   OF   THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 


193 


Divine  Spirit  put  forth  his  divine  word,  which  is 
his  divine   power  unto    salvation.     "When  they 
heard  this  they   were   pricked  in   their  hearts." 
Now  here  is  the  first  intimation  of  heart  work  in 
the  case,  and  this  was  caused  by  what  they  heard. 
Paul  says  in  another  place  that  "  the  word  of  God 
is  the  sivord  of  the  Spirit:'    In  order  then  to  put 
the  old  man  to  death,  God  through  his  apostles, 
and  through  his  Spirit,  pierces  him  to  the  heart 
with  his  sword,  which  is  the  word  of  God,  and 
thus  causes  him  to  cry  out  as  at  Pentecost,  "  What 
shall  we  do."     This  view  perfectly  accords  with 
all  that  we  have  said.    We  have  already  seen  that 
faith  comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word 
of  God,  and  that    faith  changes   or  purifies  the 
heart.     This  change  or  purification  was  commenc- 
ino-  when  they  were  cut  to  the  heart  and  was  the 
cause  of  their  crying  out,  "  Men  and  brethren,  what 

shall  we  do?" 

Now  that  God  produced  that  effect  on  their 
hearts,  and  that  he  did  it  by  the  Holy  Spirit  by 
his  power,  and  by  his  word,  is  just  as  evident  as 
any  proposition  can  be,  and  it  is  only  the  work  of 
a  skeptical  heart  to  deny  any  one  of  these  agencies. 
And  I  feel  confident  that  as  men  were  converted 
13 


194 


KEMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


THE    OFFICE   OF   THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 


195 


upon  the  glorious  morn  of  the  Christian  era,  so 
they  may  and  ought  to  be  converted  at  the  pres- 
ent day. 

But  we  are  informed  in  our  text  that ''  they  that 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God  are  the  sons  of  God.'' 
On  the  day  of  Pentecost  when  the  Spirit  addressed 
that  immense   concourse   collected   out   of  every 
nation  under  heaven,  one  part  of  the  congregation 
was  led  by  the  Holy  Spirit.   Where  then  did  the 
Spirit  lead  those  to,  who  adhered  to  its  drawings? 
It  led  them  to  believe  on  the  Lord,  and  to  cry  out 
"What  shall  we    do."      What    further  direction 
does  the  Spirit  give?     '^Repent  and  be  baptized." 
What  then  took  place :      "  So  many  as  gladly  re- 
ceived the  word" — that  is,  as  many  as  suffered  them- 
selves to  be  led  by  the  Spirit — "were  baptized,  and 
the  same  day  about  three  thousand  were  added  to 
them."    That  there  were  no  infants  among  the  three 
thousand,  is  evident,  for  we  are  told  that  these  all 
gladly  received  tlie  word.     Infants  do  not  gladly 
receive  the  word.     We  see  then,  that  those  who 
were  led  by  the  Spirit  on  that  occasion,  were  led  to 
repent  of  their  sins   and  be  baptized,  and    were 
saved;  and  those  who  were  not  led,  did  not  obey 
and  consequently  were  not  saved.     And  so  it  is 


at  the  present  day  also.  Having  thus  been  con- 
stituted sons,  the  Spirit  bears  witness  with  our 
spirit  that  we  are  children  of  God.  This  testi- 
mony of  the  Spirit  is  found  in  the  language  of  the 
Spirit  in  the  scriptures  which  says  "  as  many  as 
are  led  by  the  Spirit  are  the  sons  of  God."  Our 
spirit  bears  witness  that  we  are  led  by  the  Spirit; 
or  that  we  do  what  the  Spirit  requires,  and  thus  by 
the  joint  testimony  of  the  Spirit  of  God  and  our 
own  spirit,  we  are  proved  to  be  the  sons  of  God. 
But  some  one  asks  have  we  no  evidence  of  pardon 
but  the  mere  word  ?  I  would  ask  such  an  one, 
how  he  knows  any  revealed  truth ;  how  he  knows 
that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God  ?  or  that  there  is  a 
heaven  or  a  hell  ?  He  replies,  "  Because  the 
scriptures  say  so.*'  I  ask,  have  you  nothing  but 
the  mere  word  ?  You  reply,  "Why  this  we  think 
is  quite  sufficient "  and  so  it  is,  but  the  same  scrip- 
tures say  "  he  that  bdieveth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
savedJ^  We  believe  it  is  just  as  true  in  the  one 
case  as  in  the  other.  But  suppose  you  could  stand 
in  the  presence  of  the  Savior  as  he  sits  upon  his 
glorious  throne  and  ask  him  for  the  pardon  of 
your  sins,  and  he  would  answer  as  he  did  to  one 
of  old,  "Thy  sins  are  forgiven  thee."     This  would 


k  *i 


196 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


be  all  the  evidence  you  would  want.  I  would  ask 
you,  how  do  you  know  your  sins  are  pardoned? 
"Because  my  Savior  said  so."  And  so  as  the  case 
now  stands,  the  Lord  by  his  Spirit  has  proposed 
pardon  to  all  upon  certain  conditions.  Consequent- 
ly all  who  comply  with  those  conditions  have  his 
testimony  that  they  are  pardoned. 

After  men  are  in  Christ  they  must  follow  him; 
as  it  stands  in  John's  vision  in  Patmos,  they  "must 
hear  what  the  Spirit  saith  to  the  churches,"  and  do 
his  commandments  while  they  shall  tabernacle  here 
in  the  flesh,  and  following  him  he  will  lead  them 
to  the  holy  city  of  God,  to  the  pure  river  of  the 
w^ater  of  life,  to  the  realms  of  eternal  bliss,  and 
unfading  joys  of  the  new  heavens  and  the  new 
earth,  in  the  full  fruition  of  heavenly  light,  be- 
yond the  power  of  sickness,  sorrow,  pain  or  even 
death  itself.  In  Christ,  we  enjoy  the  purest  society 
on  this  earth  and  live  in  the  full  assurance  of  the 
society  of  all  the  pure  and  blessed  spirits  that  burn 
around  the  glorious  throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the 
heavens. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


ALL   MEN    ARE    STEWARDS. 

1  Peter  iv:  9,  10.  ^'Use  hospitality  one  to  another  without 
grudging.  As  every  man  hiith  received  the  gift,  minister  the 
same  one  to  another,  as  good  stewards  of  the  manifold  grace  of 
God."  1  Cor.  iv:  2.  "It  is  required  in  stewards,  that  a  man  be 
found  faithful." 

A  STEWARD  is  an  agent  or  servant.  There 
are  two  kinds  of  agents,  or  servants,  gen- 
eral and  special.  A  general  agent  or  steward  may 
transact  any  or  all  the  business  of  the  principal ; 
while  a  special  agent  or  servant  has  authority 
only  to  act  in  the  specific  case  for  which  he  was 
appointed  by  his  principal.  Man  is  a  special  agent 
or  steward  appointed  by  God,  to  act  in  his  stead, 
to  bring  about  one  result,  to  accomplish  an  object 
of  transcendent  importance,  to  elevate  and  Chris- 
tianize the  human  family. 

Why  did  the  Lord  send  Saul  to  Ananias  instead 
of  telling  him  what  he  must  do?  The  answer  is  a 
plain  one:  the  Lord  had  appointed  stewards.  He 
had  transferred  his  power  into  the  hands  of  men. 

It  is  difficult  for  most  men  to  realize  that  they  are 

(197) 


198 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ALL   MEN    ARE    STEWARDS. 


199 


only  agents  or  stewards,  and  that  all  they  may 
have,  or  all  they  can  do,  they  must  as  agents 
account  to  God  for  its  having  been  used  to  ele- 
vate and  Christianize  man,  and  as  Paul  says  to  the 
Corinthians,  "  It  is  required  that  a  man  be  found 
faithful,"  many  Christians  will  be  unable  to  give  a 
proper  account  of  their  stewardships.  They  have 
set  up  shop  for  themselves,  and  are  running  an  in- 
dependent institution.  Hear  the  man  exultingly 
exclaim  :  "  These  cattle,  and  these  horses,  and  this 
land,  it  is  all  mine: 

My  right  there  is  none  to  dispute, 
From  the  center  all  round  to  the  sea, 
I  am  lord  of  the  fowl  and  the  brute. 

And  this  money,  it  is  mine ;  did  not  I  labor  for  it? 
I  can  do  as  I  please  with  it,  I  can  use  hospitality, 
as  Paul  directed  the  Corinthians.  I  can  contri- 
bute to  building  up  the  church,  and  convert  the 
sinner,  or  I  can  refrain.  Is  not  the  money  my 
own  ?"  Thou  fool,  knowest  thou  not,  that  it  all  be- 
longs to  God,  and  has  been  placed  in  your  hands 
as  steward,  and  has  been  entrusted  to  you  as  means 
to  accomplish  the  elevation  and  salvation  of  sin- 
ners, and  in  saving  them  you  save  yourself? 

I  am  answered  :  "  Have  I  not  obeyed  the  gospel  ? 
Was  not  I  pardoned  ?     If  I  commit  no  sin,  will  I 


not  be  saved?"  You  poor,  stupid  creature,  are 
you  not  to  be  pitied,  more  than  blamed?  Know 
you  not  that  when  you  obeyed  the  gospel  you 
merely  entered  the  race?  The  gospel  had  to  be 
obeyed  before  you  could  enter  the  race  as  a  com- 
petitor for  the  crown,  but  at  the  end  of  the  race, 
the  question  will  not  be  asked,  ''Have  you  entered 
legally?"  for  that  will  be  presupposed,  but  the  ques- 
tion then  will  be,  "  Have  you  acted  as  a  faithful 
steward?  When  I  was  ahungered,  did  you  give  me 
meat?  When  I  was  thirsty,  did  you  give  me 
drink?  When  I  was  a  stranger,  did  you  take  me 
in?  When  I  was  naked,  did  you  clothe  me? 
When  I  was  sick,  did  you  visit  me?  When  I 
was  in  prison,  did  you  come  unto  me?"  ''If  ye 
have  done  it  to  one  of  the  least  of  my  brethren, 
ye  have  done  it  unto  me."  You  see  there  are  no 
questions  asked  about  your  faith,  or  your  repen- 
tance, or  your  baptism.  It  will  be  understood  that 
you  entered  the  race  legally,  for  Paul  says  :  "  Yet 
is  he  not  crowned,  except  he  strive  lawfully." 

Christ  says  "  Strive  to  enter  in,  for  I  say  unto 
you,  but  few  will  be  saved ;  because  strait  is  the 
way  and  narrow  is  the  gate  that  leadeth  unto 
eternal  life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it."    "  Many 


200 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ALL    MEN    ARE    STEWARDS. 


201 


will  say  to  me  in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have  we 
not  prophesied  in  thy  name  ?  and  in  thy  name  cast 
out  devils?  and  in  thy  name  done  many  wonderful 
works  ?"  "  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I 
never  knew  you,  depart  from  me,  ye  that  work 
iniquity."  "  Then  shall  he  say  also  unto  them  on 
the  left  hand.  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into 
everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels :  For  I  was  ahungered,  and  ye  gave  me 
no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  : 
I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in ;  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not:  sick,  and  in  prison,  and 
ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also  answer 
him,  saying.  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  ahungered, 
or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in 
prison  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee?  Then 
shall  he  answer  them,  saying,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of 
these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  unto  me." 

James  says,  it  is  the  doer  of  the  work  that 
shall  be  blessed;  that  "faith  without  works  is 
dead."  "  Ye  see  how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justi- 
fied." 

My  Christian  brother,  you  have  only  entered 
the  army;  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that 


you  may  be  able  to  fight  a  good  fight,  that  when 
you  lay  the  armor  by,  you  may  be  enabled  to  say  in 
the  language  of  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles, 
to  his  son,  Timothy,  when  he  was  about  to  have 
his  head  severed  from  his  body :  "  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure 
is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  fin- 
ished my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth 
there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
w^hich  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall 
give  me  at  that  day :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  to 
all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing."  You  must 
add  the  Christian  graces  to  your  life;  to  faith,  re- 
pentance, baptism,  add  virtue,  and  to  virtue, 
knowledge,  and  to  knowledge,  temperance,  and  to 
temperance,  patience,  and  to  patience,  godliness, 
to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  to  brotherly 
kindness,  charity.  You  must  suffer  yourself  to 
be  led  by  the  drawings  of  the  Spirit,  and  he  will 
lead  you  through  the  wilderness,  and  across  the 
dark  river  to  the  evergreen  shore. 

We  are  all  agents,  and  all  that  we  have,  or  are, 
belongs  to  God,  and  it  is  only  loaned  to  us  to  be 
used  in  accomplishing  his  will.  TJntil  this  truth  is 
incorporated  into  the  deepest  recesses  of  our  heart. 


«] 


i  -; 


200 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


will  say  to  me  in  that  day.  Lord,  Lord,  have  we 
not  prophesied  in  thy  name  ?  and  in  thy  name  cast 
out  devils?  and  in  thy  name  done  many  wonderful 
works  ?"  ''  And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I 
never  knew  you,  depart  from  me,  ye  that  work 
iniquity/'  "  Then  shall  he  say  also  unto  them  on 
the  left  hand.  Depart  from  me,  ye  cursed,  into 
everlasting  fire,  prepared  for  the  devil  and  his 
angels:  For  I  was  ahungered,  and  ye  gave  me 
no  meat ;  I  was  thirsty,  and  ye  gave  me  no  drink  : 
I  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took  me  not  in ;  naked, 
and  ye  clothed  me  not:  sick,  and  in  prison,  and 
ye  visited  me  not.  Then  shall  they  also  answer 
him,  saying,  Lord,  when  saw  we  thee  ahungered, 
or  athirst,  or  a  stranger,  or  naked,  or  sick,  or  in 
prison  and  did  not  minister  unto  thee?  Then 
shall  he  answer  them,  saying,  verily  I  say  unto  you, 
inasmuch  as  ye  did  it  not  to  one  of  the  least  of 
these  my  brethren,  ye  did  it  not  unto  me." 

James  says,  it  is  the  doer  of  the  work  that 
shall  be  blessed;  that  "faith  without  works  is 
dead."  "Ye  see  how  that  by  works  a  man  is  justi- 
fied." 

My  Christian  brother,  you  have  only  entered 
the  army;  put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God,  that 


ALL    MEN    ARE    STEWARDS. 


201 


you  may  be  able  to  fight  a  good  fight,  that  when 
you  lay  the  armor  by,  you  may  be  enabled  to  say  in 
the  language  of  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles, 
to  his  son,  Timothy,  when  he  was  about  to  have 
his  head  severed  from  his  body :  "  I  am  now 
ready  to  be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure 
is  at  hand.  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  fin- 
ished my  course,  I  have  kept  the  faith  :  henceforth 
there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness, 
which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge,  shall 
give  me  at  that  day  :  and  not  to  me  only,  but  to 
all  them  also  that  love  his  appearing."  You  must 
add  the  Christian  graces  to  your  life ;  to  faith,  re- 
pentance, baptism,  add  virtue,  and  to  virtue, 
knowledge,  and  to  knowledge,  temperance,  and  to 
temperance,  patience,  and  to  patience,  godliness, 
to  godliness,  brotherly  kindness,  and  to  brotherly 
kindness,  charity.  You  must  suffer  yourself  to 
be  led  by  the  drawings  of  the  Spirit,  and  he  will 
lead  you  through  the  wilderness,  and  across  the 
dark  river  to  the  evergreen  shore. 

We  are  all  agents,  and  all  that  we  have,  or  are, 
belongs  to  God,  and  it  is  only  loaned  to  us  to  be 
used  in  accomplishing  his  will.  Until  this  truth  is 
incorporated  into  the  deepest  recesses  of  our  heart. 


202 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


ALL    MEN    ARE    STEWARDS. 


203 


and  woven  into  the  web  and  woof  of  our  every 
day  life,  we  run  in  vain. 

A  man's  stewardship  includes  himself  and  fam- 
ily, but  he  who  never  looks  beyond  his  own  door- 
way, whose  thoughts  are  circumscribed  by  the  real 
or  imaginary  wants  of  his  own  family  circle,  is  not 
a  faithful  steward :  his  heart  is  too  contracted  to 
contain  those  great  and  ennobling  principles  char- 
acteristic of  every  true  follower  of  the  meek  and 
lowly  IN'azarene  who  went  about  doing  good.  As 
we  do  good  to  others  we  grow  good. 

Brother  Brown  offers  evidence  in  point.  lie 
held  as  steward  a  fine  farm,  in  the  blue  grass  re- 
gion of  Kentucky.  As  big  dolhirs,  and  broad 
acres  of  rich  land  accumulated,  he  set  up  for  him- 
self, and  forgot  that  he  w^as  not  principal,  but  only 
steward.  His  presence  at  church  grew  less  fre- 
quent. "  He  also  that  received  seed  among  the 
thorns  is  he  that  heareth  the  word,  and  the  cares  of 
this  world,  and  the  deceitfulness  of  riches,  choke 
the  word  and  he  becometh  unfruitful." 

And  when  the  preacher.  Brother  J.  A.  Gano, 
came  in  front  of  Brother  Brown's  princely  man- 
sion, Brother  Brown  said,  *' Brother  Gano,  take 
mv  name  off  the  church  book."    "  I  called.  Brother 


Brown,  to  see  if  you  could  not  take  some  wood 
over  to  Sister  Jones,  she  is  out  of  wood  and  the 
children  are  suffering  from  cold."  "Certainly  I 
can,  I  did  not  know  that  they  were  out  of  wood ; 
Sam,  put  a  load  of  wood  on  the  wagon,  and  take  it 
to  Sister  Jones."  Sister  Brown  standing  near  the 
door  with  ears  alert,  [tor  woman  thy  name  is  curi- 
osity] hurried  to  the  pantry  and  brought  tea,  cof- 
fee, sugar,  bread  and  butter.  Brother  Brown  fol- 
lowed the  wagon  to  the  cabin  door,  and  when  he 
saw  the  half  clad  children,  shivering  over  the  dy- 
ing embers,  and  witnessed  with  what  keen  relish 
they  devoured  the  bread  and  butter,  and  noted  the 
tear  drop  start  from  the  eye  of  Sister  Jones,  as  she 
thanked  him,  curtains  were  hoisted,  and  God's 
love  was  once  more  permitted  to  shine  through 
the  windows  of  his  mind,  upon  the  tablets  of  a 
heart  that  for  the  want  of  use,  had  grown  cold  in 
the  Master's  service. 

Brother  Gano  said  that  Brother  Brown  on  the 
next  Lord's  day  occupied  a  front  seat  at  church, 
and  said  to  him,  '^Brother  Gano,  don't  take  my 
name  off  the  book." 

Now  brother,  go  do  likewise,  and  suffer  yourself 
to  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  and  he  will  lead  you  where 


m 


204 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


the  redeemed  will  sing  a  new  song  saying,  "Thou 
art  worthy  to  take  the  book,  and  to  open  the  seal 
thereof;  for  thou  wast  slain,  and  hast  redeemed  us 
to  God  by  thy  blood,  out  of  every  kindred,  and 
tongue,  and  people,  and  nation.  And  hast  made 
us  unto  our  God,  kings  and  priests :  and  we  shall 
reign  on  the  earth."  And  there,  my  brother,  you 
will  be  a  child  in  the  family  of  God,  where  congre- 
gations never  break  up,  and  sabbaths  never  end. 

But  what  can  I  say  to  you  who  have  never  ac- 
knowledged the  Lordship,  the  dignity  and  the  glory 
of  Jesus  the  Christ?  Shall  I  flatter  you  that  you 
can  ever  be  happy  without  reconciliation  to  God, 
and  a  public  acknowledgment  of  his  authority? 
"With  my  Bible  in  my  hand  I  cannot;  for  it  says, 
he  who  will  not  confess  me  before  men,  him  will 
I  deny  before  my  Father  and  his  angels.  Could 
I  call  your  attention  to  a  greater  person  than  he 
who  is  the  express  image  of  the  Almighty  and 
effulgence  of  his  glory.  And  can  you  feel  any 
hesitation  in  him  whom  the  Father  pronounced, 
"  My  Son,  the  beloved,  in  whom  1  am  well  pleased," 
on  the  stately  banks  of  the  Jordan  and  on  the  glo- 
rious mount  of  transfiguration  ?  Can  you  hesi- 
tate any   longer  about  loving  and  obeying   him, 


ALL   MEN   ARE    STEWARDS. 


205 


in  whose  presence  the  flaming  cherubim  and  sera- 
phim fall  prostrate  ? 

Remember  the  time  is  rolling  on  with  immense 
rapidity,  when  you  would  give  ten  thousand 
worlds  had  you  them  at  your  disposal,  for  the 
approbation  of  the  great  King  in  the  immense 
realms  of  Jehovah. 

He  now  stands  with  extended  hands  to  receive 
you.  He  now  offers  you  an  inheritance  in  the  un- 
fading heavens,  in  the  eternal  city.  You  are  now 
in  health,  and  while  all  things  are  ready  and  the 
Spirit  and  the  bride  say  come ;  while  every  good 
spirit  both  in  heaven  and  on  earth  invites;  you 
resolve  in  your  heart  with  full  purpose  of  spirit  to 
yield  yourself  up  in  sweet  and  humble  submission 
to  the  God  that  gave  you  life  and  being. 

Societies  are  to  a  great  extent  monopolizing  the 
time  and  money  of  many  of  the  members  of  the 
Christian  church.  Masons,  Odd  Fellows  and  flfty 
other  societies,  are  not  only  claiming  but  receiving 
the  time  and  money  of  many  of  our  members.  They 
seem  not  to  remember  that  they  are  only  stewards, 
and  that  all  their  time  and  money  belong  to  the 
church  that  Christ  bought  with  his  heart's  blood. 
We  cannot  serve  God  and  Mammon  at  the  same 


206 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


time.  "  How  long  halt  ye  between  two  opinions  ? 
If  the  Lord  be  God  follow  him;  but  it  Baal,  follow 
him."  When  Elijah  uttered  these  words  many  of 
the  Jews  had  in  their  dwellings  two  altars,  one  to 
God  and  in  the  same  dwelling  an  altar  was  erected 
to  Baal.  So  at  present  we  have  Nicolaitanes  in 
the  church,  men  who  are  trying  to  serve  God  and 
Mammon;  shepherds  who  value  the  fleece  more 
than  the  flock.  To  gain  the  applause  of  men,  and 
win  the  world,  they  meet  the  world  half  way  and 
lose  their  religion  on  the  road.  "  If  any  man  love 
the  world,  the  love  of  the  Father  is  not  in  him. 
For  all  that  is  in  the  world,  the  lust  of  the  flesh, 
the  lust  of  the  eyes  and  the  pride  of  life  is  not  of 
the  Father,  but  of  the  world."  Before  the  church 
of  Christ  was  corrupted,  it  acted  alone  as  a  church, 
it  knew  nothing  of  societies.  The  Christian's  time 
and  influence  and  money  was  all  demanded  and 
received  by  the  church.  But  now.  Christians  are 
drifting  into  societies,  and  they  go  beyond  Jerusa- 
lem, 


CHAPTER  IX. 


BAPTISM. 


Mark  xvi:  16.  "He  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be 
sav6Q. 

SOME  professors  say  we  talk  too  much  on  this 
subject,  but  it  is  usually  the  professor,  who 
leels  apprehensive  and  is  troubled  with  doubts  in 
regard  to  his  having  complied  with  the  law ;  he  is 
like  the  criminal  to  whom  the  judge  said  "  Are  you 
guilty  or  not  guilty  of  stealing  the  horse?"  who 
replied  "Judge,  there  has  been  too  much  said  on 
that  subject  already.*' 

But  some  one  will  say  "Why  do  you  not  talk  more 
about  faith?"  I  answer  that  faith  is  not  in  dis- 
pute; all  Christians  admit  its  importance,  that 
without  it,  it  is  impossible  to  see  God.  But 
strange  to  say  there  are  persons  claiming  to  be 
Christians,  who  seem  to  think  baptism  unimpor- 
tant, and  that  too  after  our  Lord  placed  it  in  the 
commission.  Just  before  he  left  the  world,  he  gave 
the  terms  upon  which  he  would  pardon  the  world. 
This  is  the  only  time  he  ever  gave  the  terms  of  par- 
don.    It  is  called  "  the  great  commission." 

(207) 


208 


EEMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


BAPTISM. 


209 


f 


It  is  recorded  in  tlie  sixteenth  verse  of  the  six- 
teenth chapter  of  the  gos[)el  as  recorded  by  St. 
Mark  and  reads  :  "  Go  ye  into  all  the  world  and 
preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature.  He  that 
believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved."  Did 
the  primitive  Christians  consider  baptism  impor- 
tant ?  Read  Acts  ot  Apostles  and  see.  It  appears 
that  in  every  case  given,  the  convert  was  baptized 
before  he  was  pardoned.  Acts  xxii :  16.  Ana- 
nias said  to  Saul  "  Arise  and  be  baptized  and 
wash  away  your  sins." 

Peter  iii :  21,  "  The  like  ligure  whereunto 
baptism  doth  also  now  save  us ;"  and  our  Lord  said 
you  must  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit  or  you 
cannot  enter  into  kingdom  of  God.  His  words  are: 
"  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the 
Spirit  he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God." 
This  includes  all  men  and  all  times.  Did  your  bap- 
tism represent  a  birth?  If  not,  it  was  not  the  bap- 
tism Christ  referred  to.  Baptism  was  of  so  much 
importance  that  Jesus  went  from  Nazareth  to  the 
Jordan  to  be  baptized,  and  set  us  the  example. 

John  Wesley  says  :  ^' Jesus  had  no  sins  to  wash 
away  and  yet  he  was  baptized,  and  God  owned  his 
ordinance,  so  as  to  make  it  the  season  of  pouring 


forth  the  Holy  Spirit  upon  him.  And  where  can 
we  expect  this  sacred  effusion  but  in  an  humble 
attendance  upon  divine  appointments."  And  yet 
some  persons  will  defy  God  and  say  baptism  is  not 
essential,  while  Christ  and  the  apostles  make  it 
essential. 

2nd.  Another  class  a  little  more  modest  say  "bap- 
tism IS  essential  but  the  mode  is  not"  L  e,  you 
must  obey  Christ  but  the  form  is  not  material.  It 
is  improper  to  say  the  mode  of  baptism,  for  baptism 
or  baptize  is  a  specific  word  and  of  itself  specifies 
the  mode.  In  the  Greek  there  are  three  specific 
words,  Rantlzo,  signifying  to  rain,  or  sprinkle; 
and  no  one  would  apply  mOde  to  sprinkle,  and  ask 
if  it  is  performed  by  scattering  on,  or  as  Webster 
has  it,by  washing.  Every  tyro  knows  that  sprinkle 
does  not  refer  to  washing,  but  only  to  scattering. 
A  second  specific  word  is  Cheo  and  means  to  pour 
and  means  nothing  else.  And  fifty  times  Baptizo 
or  its  equivalent,  is  found  in  the  Testament,  and 
the  word  which  means  to  sprinkle,  Bantizo,  nor  the 
word  meaning  to  pour,  Cheo  are  never  used;  but 
every  time  the  only  word  that  means  immerse, 
Baptizo,  or  its  equivalent  bapto  is  used. 

I  presume   there   never    was   a   Testament,   in 

14 


210 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


I 


wliich  the  word  baptizo  was  translated  to  pour  or 
sprinkle.  "  Jesus  "was  baptized  iu  Jordan  and 
came  up  out  of  the  water."  Mark  i :  9.  "They 
went  down  into  the  water  both  Philip  and  the 
eunuch,  and  he  baptized  him;  and  w^hen  they  were 
come  up  out  of  the  water."  Acts  viii :  88.  The 
great  apostle  to  Gentiles,  calls  baptism  a  burial, 
liom.  vi :  4,  ''AVe  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism 
into  death,  that  like  as  Christ  was  raised  up  fi'om 
the  dead  by  the  glory  of  the  Father,  even  so  we 
also  should  walk  in  newness  of  life.  For  if  we 
have  been  planted  together  in  the  likeness  of  his 
death,  we  shall  be  also  in  the  likeness  of  his  resur- 
rection." Col.  ii :  12.  "You  are  buried  with  him 
in  baptism,  w^herein  ye  also  are  risen."  Calvin  in 
hi^>  Institutes,  Book  Fourth,  Sec.  15,  says:  "The 
word  baptizo  signifies  to  immerse,  and  it  is  certain 
that  immersion  was  the  practice  of  the  ancient 
church."  I  vrould  humbly  ask,  who  had  the  au- 
thority to  change  it?  George  Campbell,  a  Pres- 
byterian professor  of  divinity,  one  hundred  and 
twentv  years  asro,  wrote  in  his  Dissertations,  Vol.  iv 
p.  128:  "The  primitive  meaning  of  baj)tism  is 
immersion."  IMelKuight,  another  learned  Presby- 
tviiian,  in  his  notes  on  Rom.  vi :  4,  says:  "Thebap- 


BAPTISM. 


211 


tized  person  is  buried  under  water."  Doddridge, 
the  Presbyterian  translator,  says :  "  It  seems  the 
part  of  candor  to  confess  that  Rom.  vi:  4,  is  an 
allusion  to  the  manner  of  baptizing  by  immersion." 
Beza's  Testament,  printed  in  1000,  says  of  Rom. 
vi:  4:  "We  are  buried  with  him  by  baptism;  it 
was  the  ancient  manner  of  baptizing  by  immer- 
sion," It  was  the  universal  custom  to  immerse, 
until  the  fourteenth  century.  Martin  Luther  says: 
"  Baptism,  the  sense  doth  signify,  and  the  word 
doth  mean  immerse,  and  I  wish  there  were  no  other 
mode  practiced  at  the  present  day."  This  he  said 
in  1540,  and  we  have  shown  by  John  Calvin,  the 
Presbyterianism  founder,,  that,  "the  word  baptize 
signifies  to  immerse,  and  it  is  certain  that  immer- 
sion was  the  practice  of  the  ancient  church."  In- 
stitute, Book  4,  Sec.  15.  Calvin  wrote  in  1550, 
By  our  third  witness,  James  McKnight,  who  was 
the  leading  Presbyterian  in  Scotland,  from  1770 
until  1800,  Rom.  vi:4,  "  The  baptized  person  is 
buried  under  water."  We  have  shown  by  the 
testimony  of  our  fourth  witness,  Philip  Dodd- 
ridge, who,  in  1750,  had  been  for  many  years  the 
best  translator  and  commentator  of  the  scriptures 
in  Europe,  that  Rom.  vi :  4.  "It  seems  the  part 


212 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


BAPTISM. 


213 


of  candor  to  confess  tliat  here  is  an  allusion  to 
tlie  manner  of  baptizing  by  immersion,"  notes 
on  tlie  New  Testament.  We  have  shown  by  the 
testimony  of  our  filtli  witness,  George  Campl)ell, 
the  Presbyterian  Professor  and  Scotch  Divine  in 
1771,  ^'  The  primitive  meaning  of  baptism,  is  im- 
mersion." Dissertations,  Yol.  4,  p.  128.  We  have 
shown  by  the  testimony  of  our  sixth  witness,  John 
Wesley,  the  founder  ot  the  Methodist  church,  in 
1737,  that  he  certifies,  Rom.  vi :  4,  "  We  are  buried 
with  him  in  baptism  ;  alluding  to  the  ancient  man- 
ner of  baptizing  by  immersion."  Now,  Paul,  we 
will  hear  your  testimony  as  a  seventh  witness  on 
baptism.  "You  were  buried  with  him  in  baptism 
wherein  also  ve  are  risen  with  him."  Col.  ii :  12. 
"We  are  buried  with  him  in  baptism."  Rom.  vi 
4.  As  our  eighth  witness  we  will  call  up  Dr.  Luke 
and  hear  liis  testimony  on  this  important  subject. 
Doctor,  how  did  the  apostles  baptize,  "Tliey  both 
went  down  into  the  w^ater  and  he  baptized  him 
and  when  they  were  come  out  of  the  water,  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord  caught  away  Philip."  Acts  viii: 
38.  Persons  who  will  not  be  convinced  by  this 
cloud  of  witnesses,  that  baptism  is  a  burial,  are 
beyond  the  reach  of  testimony. 


3.  But  thirdly,  the  importance  of  baptism  we 
have  shown  by  our  blessed  Lord.  Mark  xvi :  16. 
"  lie  that  believeth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved" 
John  iii :  5.  "Except  a  man  be  born  of  the  water 
and  the  Spirit,  he  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom 
of  God."  For  our  second  witness,  we  will  call  up 
Ananiac  and  hear  him  testify.  Acts  xxii :  16. 
"  Arise  and  be  baptized,  and  wash  away  thy  sins." 
Did  Ananias  understand  himself  when  he  told 
Saul  that  water  baptism  would  wash  awaj'  his  sins  ? 
As  our  third  witness  we  call  up  the  apostle,  to 
whom  was  committed  the  keys  of  the  kingdom. 
Peter,  is  baptism  absolutely  essential?  "While 
the  ark  w^as  a  preparing,  wherein  few  that  is,  eight 

• 

souls  were  saved  by  water.  The  like  figure  where- 
unto  baptism  doth  also  now  save  us."  Peter  iii: 
21-25.  As  our  fourth  witness,  we  will  call  up  Doc- 
tor Luke.  "  Who  will  tell  thee  words  whereby  thou 
and  all  thy  house  shall  be  saved."  Acts  xi :  14. 
The  words.  Acts  x :  47.  "  Can  any  man  forbid 
water,  that  these  should  not  be  baptized."  Our 
fifth  and  last,  but  not  least  witness  on  this  branch 
of  the  subject,  will  be  our  adorable  Lord,  as  re- 
corded in  the  Acts  ix  :  6.  "Arise  and  go  into  the 
city  and  it  shall  be  told  thee  what  thou  must  do." 


211 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


BAPTISM. 


215 


From  these  witnesses  it  is  evident,  that  baptism 
goes  before  pardon,  and  that  baptism  was  perform- 
ed by  immersion,  and  that  it  was  not  baptism  un- 
less the  person  was  buried  in  water. 

4.  If  a  man  has  Avater  poured  on  him  for  bap- 
tism and  thinks  that  it  is  baptism,  and  his  heart  is 
right,  will  not  he  be  accepted  by  the  Lord  ?  Read 
the  13  c.  of  1  Kings.  There  it  is  related,  the  pro- 
phet went  down  from  Jerusalem,  and  cried  against 
the  altar,  and  the  king  said  :  "Come  home  with 
me  and  refresh  thyself,  and  I  will  give  thee  a  re- 
ward.'' And  the  man  of  God  said :  "  If  thou 
wilt  give  half  thy  house  I  will  not,  for  the  word 
of  the  Lord  said,  eat  no  bread  or  drink  water  in 
this  place."  And  the  man  of  God  started  to  Jeru- 
salem. An  old  prophet  went  after  him  and  said: 
*'  Come  home  with  me  and  eat  bread,"  and  the  man 
of  God  said:  "I  will  neither  eat  bread  nor  drink 
water  nor  go  in  with  thee,  for  I  was  so  told  by  the 
word  of  the  Lord."  The  old  prophet  said :  "  I 
am  also  a  prophet  as  thou  art,  and  an  angel  spake 
unto  me  by  the  word  of  the  Lord  saying,  "Bring 
him  back  with  thee  into  thine  house,  that  he  may 
eat  bread,  and  drink  water.  But  he  lied  unto  him." 
So  he  went  back  with  him,  and  did  eat  bread  in 


his  house,  and  drank  water.  As  they  sat  at  the 
table,  the  word  of  the  Lord  came  saying,  "thy  car- 
cass shall  not  come  to  the  sepulchre  of  thy  fathers. 
And  when  he  was  gone,  a  lion  met  him  by  the 
way  and  slew  him."  And  why  was  this  recorded? 
It  was  to  show  that  a  man's  honesty  cuts  no  figure 
with  God,  where  a  man  disobeys  in  the  least. 
Read  2nd  Samuel  vi.  Uzzah,  a  good  man, 
caught  the  ark  to  keep  it  from  falling  off  the  cart, 
and  God  killed  Uzzah.  It  was  the  law  that  no  one 
but  a  Levite  should  touch  the  ark,  the  oxen 
stumbled,  the  ark  was  about  to  fall;  for  reverence 
for  the  ark,  Uzzah  unthoughtedly  reached  forth  to 
stop  it  from  falling,  and  God  killed  him  for  it. 
These  are  given  to  teach  us  that  something  else  for 
baptism  will  not  do. 

But  now,  dear  brother,  in  conclusion,  when  you 
have  had  faith,  and  liave  repented  and  been  im- 
mersed, you  have  only  started  in  the  army  of  the 
Lord  You  must  fight  a  good  fight,  for  the  crown 
is  at  the  end  of  the  race. 

Doctor  Wall,  the  historian,  says  :  ":No  branch 
of  the  nominally  Christian  church,  however  cor- 
rupt in  other  respects,  has  dared  to  change  the  law 
of  immersion  into  sprinkling,  except  the  Roman 
hierarchy  and  those  churches  which  derived 
sprinkling  from  that  polluted  source." 


MOSES   AS   A   TYPE    OF    CHRIST. 


217 


CHAPTER  X. 


MOSES   AS   A   TYPE   OF   CHRIST. 

J^i  OSES  was  in  many  respects  a  type  of  Christ. 
/  V  When  Moses  was  born,  Pharaoh  had  com- 
manded all  the  male  children  of  the  Israelites  to 
be  destroyed.  Ex.  i:  16,  "  And  the  king  of  Egypt 
said,  if  it  be  a  son,  ye  shall  kill  him."  When 
Jesus  was  born,  Mat.  ii:  16,  '*  Ilerod  sent  forth  and 
slew  all  the  children  that  were  in  Bethlehem,  and 
i]i  all  the  coasts  thereof."  Mat.  ii:  13,  ''  The  angel 
of  the  Lord  appeared  to  Joseph  in  a  dream,  saying, 
take  the  young  child  and  his  mother,  and  flee  into 
Egypt."     And  so  was  Moses  preserved  by  God. 

Moses,  in  refusing  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pha- 
roah's  daughter,  resigned  station,  wealth,  and 
honor.  Our  Lord,  resigned  heaven,  with  un- 
told bliss,  for  suffering,  which  no  tongue  can  tell, 
nor  pen  describe.  Moses  also  suffered  much. 
N'um.  xi :  14,  15.  "  I  am  not  able  to  bear  all  this 
people  alone,  because  it  is  too  heavy  for  me.  And 
if  thou  deal  thus  with  me,  kill  me,  I  pray  thee,  out 
of  hand,  if  I  have  found  favor  in  thy  sight,  and  let 
me  not  see  my  wretchedness." 
(216) 


\ 


Moses  was  sent  to  deliver  the  children  of  Israel 
from  the  cruel  bondage  of  Pharaoh  and  they  all 
passed  through  the  sea,  and  were  baptized  unto 
Moses,  and  he  led  them  through  the  wilderness  to 
the  promised  land.  Christ's  children  are  baptized 
unto  him,  and  he  leads  them  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
through  the  wilderness  of  this  life  to  heaven. 
Both  of  them  acted  as  mediators  between  God  and 
the  people.  Ex.  xxxii:  10.  "INow  let  me  alone 
that  I  may  consume  them,  and  I  will  make  of  thee 
a  great  nation.  And  Moses  besought  the  Lord 
his  God,  and  the  Lord  repented  of  the  evil  which 
he  thought  to  do  unto  his  people."  They  both 
spent  their  lives  for  the  people.  Moses'  life  was 
one  continual  exhibition  of  self  devotion  to  the 
children  of  Israel — at  one  time  he  entreated  the 
Lord,  rather  than  to  destroy  the  children  of  Israel, 
to  kill  him ;  this  is  but  a  feeble  representation  of 
Christ,  who  actually  suffered  upon  the  cross  for 
others.  Moses  obtained  for  the  children  of  Israel, 
manna  from  heaven,  water  from  the  rock,  and 
turned  aside  from  them  the  plagues.  Num.  xvi:  46. 
"And  Moses  said  unto  Aaron,  take  a  censor,  and 
put  fire  therein,  from  off  the  altar,  and  put  on  in- 
cense and  go  quickly  unto  the  congregation,  and 


218 


RExMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


make  an  atonement  for  tliem,  for  there  is  wrath 
gone  out  from  the  Lord ;  the  plague  is  begun.  And 
Aaron  took  as  Moses  commanded,  and  ran  into  the 
midst  of  the  congregation,  and  behold  the  plague 
was  begun  amongst  the  people.  And  he  put  on 
incense  and  made  an  atonement  for  the  people. 
And  he  stood  between  the  dead  and  the  living,  and 
the  plague  was  stayed."  See  also  Ex.  xxxii:  32. 
Our  blessed  Lord  while  here  upon  the  earth  spent 
his  life  in  healing  tlie  sick  and  relieving  the  suifer- 
ing.  Jesus  also  fed  vast  numbers  of  people  in 
the  desert,  and  finally  gave  himself  as  the  bread  of 
life. 

Moses  was  a  faithful  leader,  he  was  noted  for 
being  meek  and  holy — in  this  too,  he  only  feebly 
represented  the  Lord  who  without  sin  descen- 
ded to  the  lowest  condition  of  the  human  family. 

The  children  of  Israel  were  ungrateful  to  Moses, 
they  rebelled  against  his  authority.  The  Jews  re- 
belled against  Jesus  and  put  him  to  death. 

The  children  of  Israel  were  delivered  from  bon- 
dage in  the  same  month  and  on  the  same  day  of  the 
month,  that  Christ,  our  passover,  suffered  for  us, 
on  the  15th  day  of  Nisan.  And  their  passing 
through  the  Red  Sea,  and  the  wilderness  and  the. 


MOSES  AS  A  TYPE  OF  CHRIST. 


219 


Jordan,  was  a  type  of  the  Christian's  pilgrimage 
to  the  home  of  the  weary.     Moses  was  a  type  of 
Christ  in  being,  priest,  king  and  prophet.     God 
appointed  Moses  to  be  a  ruler  over  Israel,  and  the 
people  were  commanded  to  obey  him.     Christ  is 
king  and  his  word  is  law — Christ  as  prophet,  has 
given  laws  to  his  church,  and  prophesied  of  his 
own  death,  foretold  of  the  manner  of  the  destruc- 
tion  of  Jerusalem,  and   informed  the  Christians 
when  to  flee  from  the  city,  and  the  lives  of  the 
Christians  were    saved    in    this  way— Moses    as 
prophet  gave  laws  to  Israel — and  prophesied  of  fu- 
ture events,  that  his  laws  would  be  abrogated,  and 
that   God   would    raise    up   a  prophet  that  they 
would  hear  in  all  things. 

Moses  was  disinterested.  As  Christ  never  per- 
formed a  miracle  for  his  personal  benefit,  so 
Moses  preferred  Aaron's  family  to  his  own, 
appointing  them,  instead  of  his  own,  priests.  Who 
but  an  inspired  writer  would  record  the  sins  of  his 
ancestors,  as  Moses  recorded  the  sins  of  Abraham, 
Isaac  and  Jacob,  and  the  sins  of  his  grandfather 
Levi,  and  his  own  sins.  Gen.  xii:  11-13,  xxvi :  7, 
xxxiv  :  25,  Num.  xx  :  1-12,  xxvii :  12-14.  At  the 
close  of  his  own  life  he  exhorted  the  Israelites  to 


220 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


obey  God.     To  honor  God  was  the  ruling  trait  of 
his  life.    As  Moses  was  a  priest,  so  was  Jesus  a 
priest.    He  offered  himself  as  a  lamb  of  God.    Moses 
as  priest  ratified  the  covenant  by  sprinkling  blood. 
Ex.  xxiv:  8.     By  thus  ratifying  the  covenant  be- 
tween God  and  the  people,  he  informed  them  as 
sinners  they  could  not  approach  God  without  a 
mediator.     Ex.  xii :  27.     The    lamb  is   called  the 
Lord's  passover.     Its  blood  averted  the  angel  of 
death,  and  by  eating  the  flesh  of  the  lamb  they 
were  strengthened  for  their  journey,   as   Christ's 
blood  averts  the  death  Angel,  and  by  partaking  of 
his  body  and  blood  the  Christian  is  strengthened 
for  his  journey.     Moses  prophesies  Deut.  xxviii:  36, 
2nd  Kings  xvii:  41-48,  of  their  idolatry  and  that 
their  kings  would  be  taken  captive.     Deut.  xxxi  : 
27-29.     Their  apostasy,  the  punishment  that  God 
would    place   upon    them,   Deut.    xxviii:    49-52. 
Their   success,  if  obedient  Deut.  xi :    22-25.     The 
rapid  march  of  the  Romans  represented  by  the 
flight  of  the  eagle  which  was  their  standard,  and 
that  they  would  come  from  the  ends  of  the  earth, 
and  that  they  would  be  unable  to  understand  their 
speech,  and    the  suflfering  they   would  experience 
when  besieged.     Deut.  xxviii :  52-58,  2nd  Kings 


MOSES   AS   A   TYPE   OF   CHRIST. 


221 


vi :  28, 29,  and  of  their  subsequent  condition,  Deut. 
xxviii :  59.  Compare  Deut.  xviii :  15  with  John 
i :  45,  vi :  14  and  Acts  iii :  32,  vii :  37,  and  John 
vi :  25.  From  this  last,  the  coming  of  Christ  is  here 
foretold,  and  also  the  end  of  the  Mosaic  dispensa- 
tion. Deut.  xxi :  22,  23.  Gal.  iii :  13.  Moses  by 
prophecy  here  referred  to  Christ  who  was  hanged 
on  a  tree  made  a  curse  for  us  These  prophecies 
prove  that  Moses  was  inspired,  and  as  a  prophet 
was  a  type  of  Christ. 

The  miracles  of  Moses  must  have  been  very  evi- 
dent, otherwise  the  Israelites  never  would  have 
submitted  to  his  laws  that  appeared  quite  oppress- 
ive. It  has  been  estimated  that  at  least  the  one 
half  of  all  their  yearly  income  was  oftered  up  as  a 
sacrifice,  and  I  presume  that  men  loved  property 
as  much  then  as  they  do  now.  If  Moses  was  not 
inspired  why  would  he,  when  in  the  wilderness, 
where  not  an  olive  tree  or  a  grape  vine  ever  was 
seen,  make  laws  regulating  the  tax  on  olive  oil 

and  wine. 

On  the  borders  of  Canaan,  when  the  children  of 
Israel  murmured ;  Moses  told  them,  Num.  xiv  :  29 
that  he  would  march  them  forty  years  in  the  wil- 
derness, and  in  Num.  xxxiii,  forty-two  such  ex- 
cursions are  given. 


222 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


The  four  following  marks  are  said  to  be  certain 
proof,  of  the  reality  of  a  miracle. 

First  were  the  facts  open  to  men's  sense  ? 

Second,  were  they  public. 

Third.  Were  public  monuments  kept  up,  and 
some  outward  actions  constantly  performed,  in 
memory  of  the  facts  thus  publicly  performed? 

Fourth.  Were  such  monuments  kept  up,  and 
such  actions,  and  observances  instituted,  at  the 
very  time  when  these  events  took  place  ?  and  were 
they  afterwards  continued  without  interruption? 
The  first  two  rendered  it  impossible  for  men  at  the 
time  to  have  been  deceived;  the  last  two,  for  de- 
ception to  have  been  practiced  in  after  ages.  Ap- 
ply  these  rules  to  the  passover,  which  was  com- 
memorated  by  the  Jews  from  their  deliverance 
from  Egypt,  and  Christ's  supper  which  has  been 
continually  observed  from  his  resurrection  until 
now. 


CHAPTER  XI. 


"  GOD  IS  LOVE  ;   AND  WHERE  LOVE  IS  THERE  IS 

GOD  ALSO." 

THE  above,  is  the  title  of  a  book  sent  me  by  mail. 
I  would  not  detract  one  particle  from  love ;  it 
is  the  cement  of  society,  and  without  it  Christianity 
is  a  farce.     ''  We  know  that  we  have  passed  from 
death  unto  life  because  we  love  the  brethren."    And 
when  I  say  all  this,  and  yet  to  put  such  a  book  in 
the  hands  of  sinners  to  teach  them  what  God  re- 
quires of  them,  that  love  is. the  magmini  bonum,  to 
take   people   to  heaven,  then    I    reply   the  devil 
never    uttered    a  bigger  lie ;  such  a  book  in  the 
hands  of  Christians  can  only  do  good.    "  In  this  the 
children  of  God  are  manifest,  and  the  children  of 
the  devil,  whosoever  doetli  not  righteousness  is  not 
of  God,  neither  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother." 
This  and  much  more  has  John  written  about  love, 
but  it  was  written  to  Christians.     When  such  a 
book  is  given  to  a  sinner  as  a  guide  to  heaven  it  is 
only  fraught  with  evil.     All  the  love  exhibited  by 

Pythias  never  saved  a  soul,  it  is  like  that   soul 
•^  (223) 


224 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


destroying  doctrine,  "pray  on  and  God  will  pardon." 
Acts   of  the  Apostles  is  the  only  book  given 
to  show  how  sinners  are  made  Christians.     Twelve 
cases  are  there  given,  and  love  is  not  once  men- 
tioned, but  each  case  begins  with  faith  and  ends 
with  baptism,  and  he  who  turns  up  his  nose  at  this 
is  turning  up  his  nose  at  Christ,  Mark  xvi :  16. 
The  apostles  only  followed  out  Christ's  instruction. 
In  all  accounts  given,  an  apostle  never  spoke  of 
love  to  a  sinner.     It  is  always  obey  the  gospel,  you 
are  then  a  child  of  God,  and  as  such,  love   is   a 
crowning  virtue.     The  apostle  tells  the  Christian 
[not  the  sinner]  without  love  you  cannot  see  God. 
It  is  not  to  make  you  sons  but  it  is  "because 
you  are  sons  God  has  sent  forth  his  spirit  into  your 
hearts  "  Gal.  iv  :  6.     Do  not  let  us  make  a  misap- 
plication of  love,  first  teach  the  sinner  to  obey,  and 
teach  love  to  the  Christian.     The  quack    doctor 
who   gave   the   choked   Irishman   a   potato,    un- 
choked  him,  but  when  he  gave  it   to  a   choked 
Dutchman  it  killed  him.     The  doctor  wrote,  pota- 
to good  for  choked  Irishman,  but  death  to  Dutch- 
man.    Men  these  days  have  less  sense  than  the 
doctor,  they  see  something  in  the  Bible,  they  never 
stop  to  see  who  it  is  addressed  to,  but  it  is  issued 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


225 


out  indiscriminately.  What  is  addressed  to  the 
Christian  is  given  to  the  sinner,  and  the  sinner's 
portion  is  frequently  given  to  the  Christian.  Oh 
that  men  would  "study  to  shew  themselves 
approved  unto  God,  workmen  that  need  not  be 
ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth." 

Rev.  xiv :  13,  "  Blessed  are  the  dead  which  die 
in  the  Lord  from  henceforth,  yea  saith  the  Spirit, 
that  they  may  rest  from  their  labors;  and  their 
works  do  follow  them." 

At  the  time  the  Spirit  imparted  this  information 
to  the  apostle    destructive    persecutions  were  rag- 
ing, and  the  faithful  follower  of  Christ  knew  not 
at  what  time  he  would  be  called  upon  to  seal  his 
faith  with  his  blood.     Christians  were  surrounded 
by  foes  on  every  side,  and  were  daily  called  upon 
to  meet  death  in  its  most  repulsive  form.     New  in- 
ventions were  contrived  to  make  the  suffering  of 
the  martyr  more  painful ;  and  to  support  Christians 
under  such  extreme  suffering,  they  were  informed 
that  after  death  they  would  "  rest  from  their  labors, 
and  their  works  would  follow  them."     And  this  is 
as  true  to-day  as  it  was  then ;  the   Christian  will 
rest  after  death,  and  his  works  will  follow  him, 
therefore,  it  is  very  important  for  all  persons  to  be 
15 


226 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


adopted  into  the  family  of  God,  that  they  may 
triumph  over  all  the  misfortunes  of  life,  that  sick- 
ness, sorrow,  pain,  and  death,  will  be  but  pass- 
ports unto  heavenly  rest.  Now,  we  are  beset  with 
troubles,  then,  it  will  be  rest ;  now,  it  is  suffering 
and  sorrow,  then,  it  will  be  pleasure  for  evermore. 
After  death,  the  Christian  has  a  glorious  promise 
of  eternal  life,  amid  his  trials  and  conflicts,  how  he 
longs  for  that  life. 

The  Christian  will  not  only  rest  from  his  labors, 
a  sweet  repose  with  him  will  follow;  a  tranquil 
rest  in  bliss  will  follow  death,  but  his  works  will 
follow  him.  Go  read  ilat.  xxv.  The  questions 
will  then  be  ''  When  I  was  hungered,  did  you 
give  me  meat?  When  I  was  thirsty,  did  you  give 
me  drink  ?  When  I  was  a  stranger,  did  you  take 
me  in?  When  I  was  naked,  did  you  clothe  me? 
When  I  was  in  prison,  did  you  visit  me?  If  ye 
have  treated  one  of  the  least  of  my  brethren  in 
this  way,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me.  So  you  can 
see,  my  friends,  that  our  works  do  follow  us.  Eter- 
nity is  a  great  book,  into  which  all  the  transactions 
of  time  are  written,  every  act  performed,  every 
word  uttered,  the  recording  angel  will  transcribe 
in  the  l)ook  of  remembrance,  and  it  will   remain 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


227 


through  the  cycles  of  eternity.  With  these 
precious  promises  in  view,  the  Christian  who  has 
been  legally  adopted  into  the  divine  family,  can 
meet  death  with  tranquil  exclamations.  In  the 
year,  A.  D.  161,  Marcus  Antonius,  the  philosopher, 
was  emperor  of  Rome.  He  wrote  "  What  a  soul 
is  that,  which  is  prepared  even  now  presently,  if 
needful,  to  be  extinguished,  or  be  dispersed,  or  to 
subsist  still.  But  this  readiness  must  proceed  from 
well-weighed  judgment;  not  from  mere  obstinacy 
like  the  Christians,  ,  and  it  should  be  done  consid- 
erately and  with  gravity,  without  tragical  exclam- 
ations as  to  persuade  another." 

This  emperor  had  another  opportunity  of  seeing 
Christians  die  with  "  tragical  exclamations  as  to 
persuade  another,"  that  there  was  a  home  for  the 
w^eary,  and  a  never  fading  crown  for  the  children 
of  God.  The  infidel  never  dies  "  with  tragical  ex- 
clamations as  to  persuade  another."  Persuade 
him  of  what?  a  glorious  state  of  rottenness  after 
death,  that  a  man  will  lie  down  and  die  and  rot 
like  a  hog,  and  that  will  be  the  last  of  him?  and 
to  persuade  men  that  Paul  was  wrong  when  he 
wrote,  "We  know,  that  if  our  earthly  house  of 
this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building 


228 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


of  God,  a  house  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in 
the  heavens.  For  we  that  are  in  this  tabernacle 
do  groan,  being  burdened  not  for  that  we  would 
be  unclothed,  but  clothed  upon,  that  mortality 
might  be  swallowed  up  of  life."  Yet  sometimes 
the  infidel  has  ''tragical  exclamations  as  to  per- 
suade another,"  when  he  is  permitted  to  see  be- 
yond the  curtain,  when  dissolution  is  about  to 
take  place.  Men  have  witnessed  those  "  tragical 
exclamations,"  but  they  were  not  the  exclamations 
of  joy  by  any  means. 

To  be  able  to  die  like  a  Christian,  is  it  not  worth 
living  for  ?  And  to  have  the  promise  of  eternal  life 
after  the  suffering  and  trials  are  ended,  and  his 
good  works  lor  his  Lord  shall  follow  him,  and  he 
shall  hear  the  welcome  plaudit,  "  Well  done,  thou 
good  and  faithful  servant,  thou  hast  been  faithful 
over  a  few  things,  I  will  make  thee  ruler  over 
many  things,  enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  Lord  " 
The  text  informs  us  that  the  child  of  God,  after 
death,  will  rest  from  his  labors.  How  sweet  it  is 
to  know  that  there  is  a  land  of  rest ;  rest  from  our 
sins,  rest  from  toil,  rest  from  temptations  that  are 
constantly  besetting  us,  rest  from  our  sufferings. 
Oh  land  of  rest,  with  what  joy  we  will  hail  thee ! 


GOD    IS    LOVE. 


229 


While  we  are  pilgrims  in  this  wilderness,  we  meet 
with  trials  and  troubles  on  every  side.     The  hap- 
piest men  that  grace   this   earth   are  beset  with 
daily  troubles,  within  or  without,  from  the  cradle 
to  the  grave.     Bliss  is  never  in  the  possession  of 
man,  but  always  in  prospect;  men  are  constantly 
in  pursuit  of  it,  like  the  child  chasing  the  butter- 
fly.    Deprive  man  of  this  fond  expectancy,  this 
elusive  hope,  and  this  would  be  a  sad  and  gloomy 
world  indeed.     Here  we  suffer  from  want,  from 
weakness   of  the    heart,   from  the   mistreatment 
from  others,  from  diseases  of  the  body,  and  death 
is  but  the  friend  to  loose  the  enchanted  chain  that 
we  have  hugged  so  fondly,  that  has  fettered  us  to 
our  miseries.     Temptations  will  then  be  at  an  end; 
temptations  that  have  so  often  harassed  the  judg- 
ment, and  have  too  often   overcome   virtue.     In 
death  he  puts  it  all  off  with  this  earthly  body;  he 
can  then  sing  with  the  redeemed.   There  is  no  more 
sickness,  pain,  or  sorrow,  no   more  conflicts,  no 
more  tears  to  shed.   Delivered  from  a  sinful  nature, 
with  all  its  sinful  passions,  looking  back  over  a 
life  of  sin  and  folly,  he  can  with  joy  say :  I  will  now 
rest  from  suffering,  and  from  sorrow;  my  pilgrim- 
age  has  terminated,  and  I  am  at  home.     I  have 


230 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


been  banished  from  all  I  held  most  dear,  from  my 
Lord,  my  God,  my  heaven,  my  all.  I  am  no  long- 
er led  astray  by  the  sinful  tendency  of  my  life,  and 
the  frailty  of  my  mind,  that  required  constant 
watching,  and  then  I  was  often  found  in  forbidden 
paths.  Their  works  do  follow  them,  and  all  the 
redeemed  will  be  perfectly  happy,  we  are  so  taught 
by  the  word  of  God,  that  in  heaven  every  Chris- 
tian will  be  in  a  perfect  state  of  bliss,  and  that 
every  redeemed  Christian  can  truly  say :  With  joy 
my  cup  runneth  over.  While  this  is  plainly  taught 
by  the  scriptures,  it  is  just  as  plainly  taught  that 
some  will  possess  brighter  crowns  than  others. 
Paul  says :  "  There  is  one  glory  of  the  sun,  an- 
otlier  glory  of  the  moon,  and  another  glory  of  the 
stars,  for  one  star  differeth  from  another  in  glory, 
so  also  is  the  resurrection  of  the  dead." 

Men  will  be  filled  according  to  their  capacity ;  it 
requires  less  to  fill  a  cup  than  it  does  to  fill  a  barrel. 
There  will  be  bestowed  on  each,  all  that  he  can  en- 
joy. It  will  be  the  faithful,  but  not  always  the 
successful  servant  of  Jesus  Christ,  that  will  receive 
the  brightest  crown;  what  a  great  incentive  to 
action  is  here  given.  *aie  who  sows  bountifully 
shall  reap  bountifully."     IIow  I  envy  the  rich  in- 


GOD  IS   LOVE. 


231 


heritance  which  is  now  turning  many  to  righteous- 
ness.    "He  shall  shine  as  the  brightness  of  the 
stars  for  ever  and  ever."     And  yet  our  salvation 
will  be  all  "  by  grace  through  the  redemption  that 
is  in  Christ  Jesus."      These   great  promises  are 
given  to  Christians  "  that  Christ  may  dwell  in  their 
hearts;   by  faith,  that  they  may  be  rooted  and 
grounded  in  love,  and  may  be  able  to  comprehend 
with  all  saints  what  is  the  breadth,  and  length,  and 
depth,  and  height,  and  to  know  the  love  of  Christ, 
which  passeth  knowledge,  that  ye  might  be  filled 
with  all  the  fulness  of  God."     The  Christian's  body 
"  is  sown  a  natural  body.     It  is  sown  in  corruption, 
it  is  raised  in  glory."     No  words  can  tell,  no  lan- 
guage describe,  the  scenes  that  will  then  open  to 
our  view,  and  the  exquisite  bliss  in  that  heavenly 
kingdom,  where  there  will  be  no  sun  or  moon,  but 
the  glory  of  God  will  lighten  it,  and  the  Lamb  is 
the  light  thereof.     And  what  real  delight  it  will  be 
to  meet  with  the  old  prophets,  and  with  the  apos- 
tles and  that  blood- washed  throng  that  no  man  can 
number,  and  those  devout  men  that  have  come  up 
not  only  from  the  church  to  which  we  belong,  but 
they  have  come  from  the  East  and  the  West,  the 
North  and  the   South,  and  have  set  down  with 


232 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Abraham,  Isaac  and  Jacob,  in  the  kingdom  of  God. 
These  conflicts  with  the  flesh  and  the  devil  will 
soon  be  over,  and  then  we  will  be  again  united 
with  those  blessed  ones  that  we  held  most  dear  on 
earth,  w^ho  have  gone  before,  have  left  the  door 
ajar  and  are  waiting  and  looking  for  us. 

How  trifling  and  momentary  are  our  sufferings, 
when  compared  to  an  eternity  of  bliss,  where  we 
shall  praise  the  Lamb  that  redeemed  us  by  his 
blood.     One  of  the  delights  of  eternity  will  be  the 
never-ceasing  expansion  of  the  soul,  and  w^hen  un- 
incumbered of  this  tabernacle,  its  ability  to  go  with 
the  velocity  of  electricity,  as  quickest  thought  from 
world  to  world,  and  from  star  to  star.     But  why 
dwell  upon  that  "which  hath  not  entered  into  the 
heart  of  man  to  be  conceived."     In  his  presence  is 
fulness  of  joy,  and  at  his  right  hand  are  pleasures  for 
ever  more.     When  the  thin  curtain  that  separates 
time  and  eternity  is  taken  away,  Avhat  an  inunda- 
tion of  wonders  w.ll  come  to  view.     Eye  hath  not 
seen,  nor  ear  heard,  and  it  hath  not  entered  into 
the  heart  of  man  to  conceive,  and  no  pen  can  de- 
scribe them.     It  would  bankrupt  all  the  English 
language  and  the  colors  of  the  rainbow. 

In  the  language  of  Brother  John  Smith,  "  I  am 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


233 


ignorant,  yes,  I  am  very  ignorant,"  but  not  quite 
ignorant  enough  to  imagine  that  I  can  elucidate  a 
subject  that  has  baffled  the  power  of  an  inspired 
man.  I  once  knew  a  giant  who  undertook  to  en- 
lighten the  world  on  the  subject  of  the  soul,  the 
mind,  the  life,  the  spirit.  After  wading  through 
his  article  of  forty-five  pages  8  mo.,  I  discovered 
that  my  giant  had  proved  to  be  a  baby  tussling 
with  a  giant.  I  am  not  for  a  moment  vain  enough 
to  think  that  I  can  remove  a  cloud  from  a  subject, 
when  fruitless  efforts  have  been  made  by  the  wis- 

est  men. 

Let  me  relate  an  incident  or  two  of  the  mysteri- 
ous workings  of  that  mysterious  thing  called  spirit 
that  Job  says,  -  is  in  a  man."     1.  Twenty  years 
ago,  a  farmer  living  in  Indiana  sold  his  farm  to  a 
stranger  claiming  to  be  from  Michigan.     It  was 
late  when  the  contract  was  closed,  the  deed  made, 
and  eight  thousand  dollars  paid  over.     The  farmer 
told  his  son,  a  young  man,  that  he  was  going  to 
the   county   seat  to   deposit  the    money    in    the 
bank.      About     midnight     the  son  got   up,   and 
said  that  he  was  going  home.     The  father,  unable 
to  change  his  resolution  accompanied  his  son  back. 
When  they  were  near  home  they    discovered   a 


234 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


235 


light  in  the  house,  and  two  men  had  the  bed  turn- 
ed down,  as  if  looking  for  money ;  they  shot  and 
killed  both  men.  One  of  them  proved  to  be  the 
man  who  had  bought  the  farm.  The  mother  and 
child  had  both  been  killed.  "  Coming  events  cast 
their  shadow^  before." 

2.  I  think  that  it  was  in  September  1870,  while 
living  in  Indianapolis,  the  writer  had  a  brother 
living  in  Rush  County,  forty-seven  miles  east. 
They  each  owned  land  in  Benton  County,  Indiana. 
One  or  the  other  would  go  in  the  fall  and  pay  the 
tax.  The  waiter  wrote  to  his  brother,  "  Will  you 
go  out  and  pay  the  tax,  or  shall  I?''  Within  two 
days  he  received  a  letter  from  his  brother,  "Will 
you  go  out  and  pay  the  tax  or  shall  I?"  I  \vrote 
back  immediately,  "Your  letter  was  dated  the 
same  day  as  the  one  I  sent  you."  In  two  days  I 
received  a  letter  trom  him  saying,  "Your  letter 
was  dated  the  same  day  of  the  letter  I  sent  you." 

3.  A  friend  of  mine  who  is  very  reliable  told  me 
that  a  pretended  spiritualist  had  informed  him, 
"that  the  spirit  of  a  little  girl  was  present  whose 
name  was  Clara  M.  B."  He  said,  I  do  not  believe 
in  spiritualism,  yet  I  cannot  tell  how  any  one 
there  knew  that  I  had  a  niece  eleven  years  old 


who  lived  fifty  miles  away,  that  had  died  three 
months  before,  and  that  her  name  was  Clara  M.B. 
A  party  present  informed  him  that  her  name  was 
Clara  R.  B.;  he  insisted  that  he  was  correct.  The 
Bible  settled  the  question;  it  was  Clara  R.  B. 
This  was  evidently  a  case  of  mind  reading. 

4.  In   1862,   while  living  in  Decatur,   Indiana, 
friend  Niblick  had  his  barn  burned.    He  told  me 
that  he  was  going  to  Fort  Wayne  to  have  a  spir- 
itualist inform  him  who  set  fire  to  his  barn.     On 
his  return  I  inquired  if  he  had  found  out.     ^'  Yes, 
the  party  described  the  man,  and  the  direction  he 
lived  from  my  house."     "  Were  you  not  satisfied 
that  that  was  the  man,  before  you  went  to  Fort 
Wayne?"     "Yes,  I  was  satisfied  that  he  was  the 
guilty  party."     I  then   related  the  above,  No.  3, 
and  told  him  that  if  his  conjectures  were  correct 
that  the  information  was  correct,  but  if  they  were 
incorrect,  he  was  censuring  an  innocent  man. 

5.  The  prophet  says  :  "  The  prophet  that  hath 
a  dream,  let  him  tell  a  dream."  While  living  in 
Indianapolis  I  lost  a  shirt  stud  that  I  valued 
highly.  I  searched  in  vain  for  it.  At  night  while 
I  was  asleep  I  thought  I  saw  it  at  the  foot  of  a 
counter  leg;  next  morning  I  went  to  the  Christian 


236 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Book  Store,  that  I  then  owned,  No.  32  S.  Penn.  St., 
and  the  lost  treasure  was  found  where  I  had  seen 
it  in  my  sleep. 

6.  The  event  I  am  about  to  record  I  cannot  vouch 
for,  as  it  is  a  newspaper  account,  and  I  have  heard 
that  they  are  not  always  reliable.  "  A  man  (I  do 
not  remember  his  name)  had  a  son  living  in  St. 
Louis,  Mo.  One  night  while  asleep  he  thought  he 
saw  a  man  enter  his  son's  room  and  steal  several 
thousand  dollars.  The  dream  was  so  vivid,  lie  re- 
membered the  dress  and  the  appearance  of  the 
thief.  He  went  to  St.  Louis,  and  from  his  descrip- 
tion, the  thief  was  detected  and  the  money  recov- 
ered. 

How  wonderful  that  in  thought  we  can  annihi- 
late space.  If  these  are  but  faint  demonstrations 
of  the  Spirit  while  incumbered  with  its  fleshly  tab- 
ernacle, what  will  its  mission  be  when  set  free  and 
unincumbered.  Indeed  we  are  closely  allied  to  the 
angels. 

7.  Judge  Jere  Smith,  who  lived  in  Winchester, 
Indiana,  whose  wife  had  some  friends  visiting  her 
who  were  going  to  the  railroad  depot.  When  they 
were  ready  to  start  Sister  Smitli  said  that  «  she  be- 
lieved that  she  would  not  go,"  her  friends  wished 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


237 


to  know  the  reason ;  it  was  only  about  two  hun- 
dred yards.     She  said  that  "  she  had  an  impression 
that  she  ought  not  to  go,"  they  laughed  at  her  im- 
pressions.    Brother,  if  you  have  an  adversary  who 
presents  an  argument  that  you  cannot  answer,  and 
wish   to   destroy   its   force,  you   look  wise,  wink, 
shrug  your  shoulders  and  laugh  heartily.     Treated 
thus  in  a  ridiculous  manner,  ridicule,  and  burlesque, 
will  have  their  effect  with  the  wisest  men.     Sis- 
ter Smith  went  with  them.     As  the  train  came  in, 
John  Ross's  horses,  attached  to  a  carriage  became 
frightened  and  ran  by  the  platform.     Sister  Smith 
ran  back  out  of  their  way ;  the  cars  ran  over  her, 
she  died  the  next  day. 

8.     I  think  that  it  was  about  the  fore  part  of 
September  1850  while  on  the  road  that  leads  from 
Sacramento,  California  to  Stockton,  night  overtook 
me,  and   while    asleep    on    the    plain,  I    saw,  or 
thought  I  saw  a  boy  about  eight  years  old,  who  said 
"  A  noted  event  will  occur  with  you  on  the  third 
of  September."     By  his  designating  not  only  the 
month  but  also  the  day  of  the  month,  it  made  a 
deep  impression  on  my  mind  so  much  so  that  the 
next  morning  I  made  a  record  of  it  in  my  journal 
[that  was  published  in  Philadelphia  in  1870  under 


238 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


the  title  "Sunshine  and  Shadows  in  Southern 
Lands,'']  I  settled  near  Senora  and  in  May  1851 
I  was  nominated  in  Tuolumne  County  for  the  Sen- 
ate. I  spent  time  and  money  trying  to  induce  the 
"  dear  people"  to  vote  for  me.  The  election  came 
off  on  the  third  of  September  and  I  took  a  trip  up 
Salt  River.  It  brought  fresh  to  my  mind  my 
dream  that  had  been  almost  forgotten.  On  the 
the  third  of  September  1876,  I  was  separated  by 
death  from  one  of  the  dearest  friends  that  earth 
aftbrds.  Hezekiah  Ball  who  is  now  living  near  Ana- 
heim, Cal.,  was  at  my  house,  and  said  to  me  "  you 
have  told  me  of  the  singular  coincidence  of  your 
dream  in  1850  coming  to  pass  on  the  3rd  of  Sept. 
1851  by  your  being  defeated.  It  was  not  then  but 
now  your  dream  has  come  true,  after  an  expiration 
of  twenty-five  years.  This  is  the  third  of  Septem- 
ber and  you  have  been  separated  from  your  best 
earthly  friend,  and  she  has  left  a  little  boy  eight 
years  old." 

The  great  Scotch  poet  should  have  added  rarely 
[Coming  events  rarely  cast  their  shadow  before] 
impressions,  presentiments,  dreams  or  visions  some- 
times come  true,  but  it  is  so  seldom  they  will  not 
do  to  depend  upon.     It  one  in  a  thousand  comes 


GOD   IS   LOVE. 


239 


to  pass,  it  is  remembered  and  talked  about,  while 
the  nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  are  forgotten. 

President  0.  A.  Burgess,  who  was  the  preacher 
at  the  Christian  church  in  Chicago,  when  the  great 
fire  of  1870  occurred,  told  me,  that  the  night  the 
fire  broke  out  there  were  three  preachers  in  that 
city  who  had  fire  for  their  text,  and  when  the  fire 
bell  sounded  they  were  then  talking  to  their  audi- 
ences about  fire. 

I  relate  these  occurrences  as  they  go  to  show 
how  little  we  know  about  the  capacity  of  the 
Spirit  even  now  while  it  is  caged,  and  incumbered 
with  fetters,  and  we  only  behold  a  very  few  faint 
demonstrations  at  the  threshold.  What  wonderful 
displays  will  burst  upon  our  view,  when  unclog- 
ged,  it  has  full  possession  of  those  mansions  made 
without  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 

Although  distasteful  to  the  philosopher,  he  must 
climb  down,  and  receive  fiuth  as  a  little  child. 

Behold  how  God  made  use  of  means  to  preserve 
the  Jews,  under  the  reign  of  Ahasuerus  King  of 
the  great  Persian  empire,  five  hundred  years  before 
the  Christian  era.  Esther  vi :  1  "  On  that  night 
could  not  the  king  sleep,  and  he  commanded  to 
bring  the  book  of  records  of  the  chronicles  :  and 


240 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


they  were  read  before  the  king.*'  Rom  viii :  28, 
"  And  we  know  that  all  things  work  together  for 
good  to  them  that  love  God,  to  them  who  are 
the  called  according  to  his  purpose." 

See  how  God  controls  the  mhids  of  men,  Gen. 

xxxvii :  25.     In  the  thoughts  of  Joseph's  brethren 

were  murder.     Behold  the  treachery  of  Judas  and 

the  conduct  of  the  Jews,  in  bringing  about  the 

crucifixion  of  our  Lord;  yet  resulted  in  salvation 

being  oftered  to  a  dying  world. 

"Life  is  real,  life  is  earnest, 
And  we  are  hastening  to  the  goal 
Dust  thou  art,  unto  dust  returnest, 
Was  not  spoken  of  the  soul." 


CHAPTER  XII. 


FAITH. 

Rom.  X :  17.     "  So  then  faith  cometh  by  hearing,  and  hear- 
ing by  the  word  of  God." 

HOW  the  signification  of  tins  word  became  in- 
volved in  so  much  obscurity,  and  priest  rid- 
den mystery  is  strange,  for  when  not  connected 
with  scriptural  subjects,  everybody  understood 
faith  to  signify  no  more  no  less  than  belief.  And 
why  it  should  be  made  to  signify  anything  else, 
in  a  scriptural  sense,  unless  she  v/hose  name  is  Mys- 
tery, was  anxious  to  envelop  in  mystery  all  Bible 
terms.  Paul  here  tells  us  not  only  what  faith  is, 
but  that  we  receive  it  by  the  word  of  God. 

Paul  in  the  text  says  :  "  So  then  faith  cometh  by 
hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God. 

John  xvii :  20.     "ITeither  pray  I  for  these  alone, 

but  for    them    also   which   shall    believe  on   me 

through  their  word."      In  this  place  our  blessed 

Lord  uses   belief  as  synonymous  with  faith,  but 

likewise  informs  us  that  we  get  this  belief  or  faith 

through  the  words  of  the  apostles. 

16  (241) 


242 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


John  i  :  12.  *'  But  as  many  as  received  him,  to 
them  he  gave  power  to  become  the  sons  of  God, 
even  to  them  that  believe  on  liis  name."  We  are 
here  not  only  informed  that  faith  and  belief  are 
the  same,  1)ut  also,  that  when  we  believe,  not 
before,  but  alter  we  believe,  that  we  have  the 
power  [not  that  we  are]  to  become,  [we  did 
not  have  this  power  before  we  believed,  but  now 
we  have]  the  sons  of  God,  even  to  them  that  be- 
lieve on  his  name. 

1  Tim.  iv:  10.  ''For  tlierefore  we  both  labor 
and  sufter  reproach,  because  we  trust  in  the  living 
God,  who  is  the  Savior  of  all  men,  specially  of 
those  that  believe."  But  we  are  told  that  there  is 
historical  faith,  evangelical  faith,  and  saving  taith, 
but  to  the  Ephesians  Paul  writes  that  there  is  but 
one  faith.  Eph.  iv :  4.  "There  is  one  body  and 
one  Spirit,  even  as  ye  are  called  in  one  hope  of 
your  calling.  One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism, 
one  God,  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all, 
and  through  all,  and  in  you  all." 

It  is  true  that  Paul  sometimes  uses  the  word 
faith  or  belief  to  represent  the  gospel,  when 
brought  in  contrast  to  the  law,  as  in  Acts  xiii:  39. 
"  And  by  him  all  that  believe,  are  justified  from 


FAITH. 


243 


all  things,  from  which  ye  could  not  be  justified  by 
the  law  of  Moses." 

Gal.  iii:  22.  "But  the  scriptures  hath  con- 
cluded all  under  sin,  that  the  promise  by  faith 
of  Jesus  Christ  might  be  given  to  them  that  be- 
lieve. But  before  faith  came,  we  were  kept  under 
the  law,  shut  up  unto  the  faith  which  should  after- 
wards be  revealed.  Wherefore  the  law  was  our 
schoolmaster  to  bring  us  unto  Christ,  that  we 
might  be  justified  by  faith.  But  after  that  faith 
is  come  we  are  no  longer  under  a  schoolmaster. 
For  ye  are  all  the  children  of  God  by  faith  in 
Christ  Jesus.  For  .as  many  of  you  as  have  been 
baptized  into  Christ  have  put  on  Christ." 

Heb.  X :  22.  ''  Let  us  draw  near  with  a  true 
heart  in  full  assurance  of  faith,  having  our  hearts 
sprinkled  from  an  evil  conscience,  and  our  bodies 
washed  with  pure  water." 

Eom.  iii :  3.  "  For  what  if  some  did  not  believe, 
shall  their  unbelief  make  the  faith  [^.  e.  the  gospel] 
of  God  without  efltect  ?" 

John  XX  :  30.  "  Many  other  signs  truly  did  Je- 
sus in  the  presence  of  his  disciples,  which  are  not 
written  in  this  book  ;  but  these  are  written  that 
ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son 


244 


FAITH. 


245 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


of  God  and  that  believing  ye  uiiglit  have  life 
throuo-h  his  name."  Then  to  obtain  faith  we 
must  read  what  the  apostles  have  written,  and 
when  faith  is  thus  produced  if  we  obey  the  gospel, 
and  live  according  to  the  scriptures,  we  will  be 
given  the  Holy  Spirit  and  we  will  be  saved. 
Gal.  iv:  6.  '^And  because  ye  are  sons,  God 
has  sent  forth  the  Spirit  of  his  Son  into  your 
hearts,  crying,  Abba  Father."  On  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost when  the  multitude  believed  and  cried  out 
"Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do?"  Peter 
replied,  "  Kepent,  and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  for  tlie  remission  of  sins, 
and  ye  shall  receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost." 
Acts,  viii :  12.  "  When  they  believed  Philip 
preaching  the  things  concerning  the  kingdom  of 
God,  and  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  they  were  bap- 
tized, both  men  and  women."  Acts  xviii:  8. 
"  And  Crispus,  the  chief  ruler  of  the  synagogue, 
believed  on  the  Lord  with  all  his  house,  and  many 
of  the  Corinthians  hearing  believed,  and  were  bap- 
tized." You  see,  my  friends,  that  in  this  one  verse, 
belief  is  twice  put  for  faith.  But  there  it  is  again, 
baptism.  How  often  that  word  turns  up  to  annoy 
some  people.     When  the  third  chapter  of    Colos- 


sians  came  in  courses  at  the  family  reading,  and 
after  they  had  reached  20th  verse  "  Children  obey 
your  parents  in  all  things :  for  this  is  well  pleasing 
unto  the  Lord,"  I  heard  a  child  say  that  he 
thought  that  that  admonition  came  quite  often, 
but  he  did  not  know  that  the  chapters  had  been 
selected  because  they  contained  it. 

Rom.  xiv  :  23.  "  Whatsoever  is  not  of  faith  is 
sin,"  that  is,  whenever  we  do  anything  that  our 
faith  informs  us  is  not  in  accordance  with  the  gos- 
pel it  is  a  sin.  Mark  xvi :  16.  "  He  that  believ- 
eth  and  is  baptized  shall  be  saved  but  he  that  be- 
lieveth  not  shall  be  damned."  Jesus  here  shows 
that  we  are  responsible  for  our  faith.  And  it  will 
be  no  apology  to  say  at  the  judgment,  that  you 
did  not  understand  your  duty. 

Many  men  say  that  "  laith  will  save  a  man  " 
and  so  it  will  if  it  works  by  love.  But  the  same  men 
tell  us  that  it  is  too  much  trouble  to  be  buried 
with  Christ,  and  so  they  take  an  easier  plan.  Now 
tliey  may  have  had  faith  but  they  have  lost  it  on 
the  way.  As  a  girl  I  once  heard  of  who  was  cry- 
ing. A  young  man  inquired  the  cause,  she  replied  : 
''  I  am  going  to  town  to  get  employment,  I  had  a 
certificate  of  good  character,  but  have  lost  it  on 


246 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


the  way."  The  young  man  wrote  her  another. 
"  This  certifies  that  this  young  lady  had  a  good 
character  when  she  left  home  but  has  lost  it  on 
the  way." 

Some  men  say  that  a  sinner  cannot  have  faith 
until  some  supernatural  work  of  the  Spirit  be 
operated  in  him  to  enable  him  to  believe.  To  say 
that  God  requires  sinners  to  believe,  or  they  will 
be  damned,  when  they  have  not  capacities  to 
believe,  would  not  it  be  cruel  in  God?  What 
would  you  think  of  a  parent  commanding  a 
tied  child  to  come  to  him  and  whipping  it  for 
not  coming,  when  he  knew  that  he  was  tied,  and 
could  not  come?  Generally  where  confessions,  or 
rules  of  faith  conflict  with  the  Bible,  men  will  be 
governed  by  their  church  rules,  and  ask  a  mem- 
ber what  he  believes  on  a  mooted  question  and  he 
will  answer,  "  I  believe  what  our  church  believes." 
And  what  does  your  church  believe  ?  "  It  believes 
what  I  believe."  And  what  do  you  both  believe? 
"We  both  believe  alike."  Thus,  men  slavishly 
subscribe  to  creeds  and  confessions  that  they  do 
not  understand.  For  a  specimen  of  faith,  read 
Esther  iv :  14.  "  For  if  thou  altogether  boldest 
thy  peace  at  this  time,  then  shall  there  enlarge- 


FAITH. 


247 


ment  and  deliverance  arise  to  the  Jews  from  an- 
other place;  but  thou  and  thy  father's  house  shall 
be  destroyed ;  and  who  knoweth  whether  thou  art 
come  to  the  kingdom  for  such  a  time  as  this  "?     1 
Sam.  XXX :  6.     When  David    was    driven     from 
his   country    by   Saul,    and    the  Philistines   had 
driven   him   from   their  camp;    the     Amalekites 
had  plundered  his  city,  and  his  own  people  were 
talking  of  stoning   him,   but   he   yet  encouraged 
himself    in  the  Lord  his   God.      Psalm  xxiii:  6. 
When  fleeing  before  a  vast  army,  led  on  by  his 
son,  who  was   seeking    his    life,  he  eould  write : 
"  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall  follow  me  all 
the  days  of  my  life,  and  I  shall  dwell  in  the  house 
of  the  Lord  forever." 

It  is  a  precious  truth,  that  active,  living  faith  in 
Christ,  has  been  the  support  and  the  redeeming 
trait  of  character  of  the  servants  of  God,  in  every 
age  of  the  world.     And  the  stronger  their  faith  the 
severer  has  been  the  test  of  it.     Noah  withstood 
the  taunts  and  scoffs  of  the  world  for  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  years.     Abraham  was  required  to 
offer  up  his  son  Isaac.     Job,  probably  the  earhest 
writer  (if  he  is  the  Job  mentioned  in  Gen.  xlvi :  13) 
yet  he  had  unwavering  faith  in  his  deep  humilia- 


248 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


tioii  and  deep  suflering.  Job  xix:22.  "Why  do 
ye  persecute  me  as  God,  and  are  not  satisfied  with 
my  flesh?  Oh!  that  my  words  were  now  written. 
Oh!  that  they  were  printed  in  a  book;  that  they 
were  graven  with  an  iron  pen  and  lead  in  the  rock 
forever;  for  I  know  my  redeemer  liveth,  and  he 
shall  stand  at  the  latter  day  upon  the  earth.  And 
after  worms  my  flesh  destroy,  yet  in  my  flesh  shall 
I  see  God,  whom  I  shall  see  for  myself,  and  mine 
eyes  shall  behold,  and  not  another,  though  my 
veins  be  consumed  within  me." 

Paul  had  unwavering  faith.  He  says,  "for  we 
know  (no  conjecture)  that  if  our  earthly  house  of 
this  tabernacle  were  dissolved,  we  have  a  building 
of  God,  an  house  not  made  with  hands  eternal  in 
the  heavens."  Yet  this  good  man,  who  had  un- 
shaken faith,  see  how^  his  faith  was  tried:  "Of 
the  Jews,  five  times  received  I  forty  stripes, 
save  one,  thrice  was  I  beaten  with  rods,  once  was  I 
stoned,  thrice  I  suffered  shipwreck,  a  night  and  a 
day  have  I  been  in  the  deep."  Cor.  xi :  26.  And 
yet  the  apostle  rejoiced  in  it  "for  our  light  afflic- 
tion which  is  but  for  a  moment,  worketh  tor  us  a 
far  more  exceeding  and  eternal  weight  of  glory."  Do 
not  become  discouraged,  my  brother,  at  your  faith 


FAITH. 


249 


being  tried.  "For  whom  the  Lord  loveth,  he 
chasteneth,  and  scourgeth  every  son  whom  he  re- 
ceiveth." 

In  these  latter  days,  we  have  heard  much  about 
the  sick  being  cured  by  these  faith  doctors.     If  we 
are  to  credit  these  healers  (there  is  no  ill  that  hu- 
man nature  is  heir  to)  all  diseases  of  the  mind  or 
body,  have  been,  and  are  being  cured  by  faith  alone, 
like     the     quack's    patent,     sugar-coated      pills, 
the  sovereign  remedy  for  all  maladies ;  good  alike 
for  corns,  cancers,  or  consumptives.     These  faith 
doctors  are  frequently  found  to  be  sparks  thrown 
oft*  at  a  tangent  by  the  revolutions  of  the  Christian 
body.     Mark  xi :  23,  and  James  v  :  15  are  favorite 
passages  with  them,  as  with  the  old  preacher  who 
preached  the  knots  oft*  the  women's  bonnets.     Mat. 
xxiv:  17,  "  Top  not  come  down."     The  passage  in 
Mat.  had  about  as  much  application  to  the  knots 
of  ribbon  on  the  sisters'  bonnets,  as  the  passage  in 
Mark  xi:  23,  or  James  v:  15,  had  to  the  faith  doc- 
tor's audience.     The  gift  of  faith,  the  supernatural 
gift  of  the  Spirit,  was  only   to   abide   until   the 
church  grew  into  manhood.     Eph.  iv:  13,  "  Till  we 
all  come  in  the  unity  of  the  faith,  and  of  the  know- 
ledge of  the  Son  of  God,  unto  a  perfect  man,  unto 


250 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


the  measure  of  the  stature  of  the  fubiess  of  Christ." 
1  Cor.  xii:  9,  "  To  another,  faith  by  the  same  Spirit ; 
to  another,  the  gifts  of  healing  by  the  same  Spirit." 
1  Cor,  xiii:  2,  "  And  though  I  have  the  gift  of 
prophecy  and  understand  all  mysteries,  and  all 
knowledge,  and  though  I  have  all  faith  so  that 
I  could  remove  mountains  and  have  not  love, 
I  am  nothing."  1  Cor.  xiii:  8,  All  these  gifts 
shall  cease.  13  verse,  *'And  now  abideth  (after 
they  have  ceased)  faith,  hope,  charity."  "Covet 
earnestly  the  best  gifts,  and  yet  show  I  unto  you 
a  more  excellent  way,"  for  these  gifts  must  pass 
away.  Eph.  iv:  12,  1  Cor.  xiii:  8.  But  I  "  will 
show  you  a  more  excellent  way."  1  Cor  xii:  31. 
In  faith,  hope,  love,  1  Cor.  xiii:  13,  for  they  abide, 
but  the  greatest  of  these  is  love,  for  faith  and  hope 
abide  with  time,  but  love  continues  in  eternity. 
Therefore  seek  spiritual  gifts,  but  a  more  excellent 
way  is  to  seek  faith,  hope,  charity,  for  these  abide. 
1  Cor.  xiii.  13. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


THE   lord's   supper. 

T.nke  xxir  19.  "And  he  took  bread,  and  gave  thanks,  and 
brake  it  ani  gave  unto  them,  saying:  ThisTs  my  body  which 
was  given  for  fou:  thisdo  in  remembrance  of  me.  Likewise  also 
The  cup  after  supper,  saying  this  cup  is  the  New  Testament  in  my 
blood,  which  is  shed  for  you." 

TT  has  been  a  custom  from  time  immemorial,  tor 
1     nations  to  erect  monuments  to  commemorate, 
and  keep  fresh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  great 
events.     And  it  has  pleased  our  Heavenly  Father 
to  establish  institutions  as  monuments  to  perpetu- 
ate the  memory  of  noted  events  that  have  occur- 
red in  his  dealings  with  the  human  family.     God's 
covenant  with  Abraham  was  by  a  national  monu- 
ment affixed  upon  all  his  posterity.     The  delivery 
of  the  children  of  Israel  from  Egyptian  bondage 
has  been  commemorated  by  a  national  supper,  ob- 
served from   the    time    of   their    delivery    down 
through  the  subsequent  ages. 

Our  blessed  Lord  also  erected  this  divine  monu- 
ment, to  commemorate  one  of  the  most  interesting 

events  that  has  ever  occurred  in  the  world's  his- 

(251) 


252 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


tory.  In  it  centers  all  the  hope  of  the  church.  If 
Christ  died  not,  then  there  is  no  resurrection  of 
the  dead,  and  we  are  still  in  our  sins,  and  if  this 
hope  is  taken  from  us,  we  are  of  all  men  the  most 
miserable,  but  this  monument  assures  us  that 
Christ's  body  was  broken,  and  his  blood  shed,  that 
he  died,  that  we  might  live. 

This  must  have  been  a  very  interesting  meeting 
to  the  disciples  of  Christ.  He  had  been  with  his 
little  family  for  three  years,  and  oh,  what  delight- 
ful scenes,  w^hat  periods  of  bliss,  were  crowded  into 
those  three  years ;  his  children  had  ever  been  near  his 
person,  and  he  had  become  endeared  by  the  sweet- 
ness of  his  childlike  innocence,  and  by  those  sublime 
God-likelessons  of  wisdom  he  had  imparted  to  them; 
and  now  he  informs  them  that  this  is  his  last  meal ; 
that  men  whom  he  came  to  save  from  eternal 
death  are  now  hunting  him  down  like  blood 
hounds  intent  upon  taking  his  life,  and  that  he 
will  be  put  to  death  by  them.  His  little  band  of 
disconsolate  followers  who  had  every  aftectionate 
remembrance  of  him,  with  fond  and  tender  emo- 
tions clinging  around  the  events  of  the  past  three 
years;  and  now  to  learn  that  his  earthly  pilgrimage 
was  about  to  terminate. 


THE   lord's    SUPPER. 


253 


What  an  interesting  scene  it  must  have  been,  to 
behold  him  celebrating  his  own  death.     Men  have 
celebrated    great    events,    monuments  have  been 
erected  to  commemorate  their  births,  but  this  is 
the    only  instance  to  commemorate  one's  death. 
And  now  while  the  apostles  were  so  deeply  inter- 
ested, that  the  event  might  not  be  forgotten,  but 
kept  fresh  in  the  memory  of  his  followers,  until 
he  should  come  again,  he  said  to  them  "  This  do 
in  remembrance  of  me."     They  remembered  that 
for  the  past  three  years  he  went  about  feeding  the 
hungry,  relieving  the  suffering,  and  saving    the 
perishing,  and  healing  the  lame,  the  halt,  and  the 
blind,  and  bringing  the  dead  to  life  again.     They 
remembered  too,  that  he  was  always   resigned  to 
the  will  of  God,  and  that  he  had  never  recalled  a 
word  or  made  a  single  mistake,  that  he  had  never 
shunned  nor  courted  danger,    always   exhibiting 
patience,  and  a  most   remarkable   tranquillity  of 
mind  that  was  never    ruffled,  the  sweet  remem- 
brance of   these,  he  bequeathed  to  his  followers 
for  their  imitation  in  all  succeeding  ages,  and  to 
give  tbem  unshaken  confidence  in  their  Lord  God, 
their  Priest,  their  King. 

What  a  scene  is  this?    Eleven  illiterate  fisher- 


254 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


men,  tneir  leader  put  to  death  as  a  criminal,  he  ha^ 
not  left  a  page  of  written  history,  nor  a  recorded 
speech,  nor  even  one  written  line  of  a  creed  to 
govern  them ;  they  are  told  that  they  will  meet 
with  persecution  and  linally  be  put  to  death,  but 
that  he  will  bequeath  to  them  three  words,  that 
will  revolutionize  society,  subdue  nations,  and 
finally  conquer  the  world.  Go,  said  he,  proclaim 
my  death.  The  apostles  went  forth  proclaiming 
those  words  as  directed,  and  it  has  been  like  a 
small  crystal  fountain  bui^ting  out  of  a  mountain- 
side, in  a  weary  land;  the  little  rill  has  for  eighteen 
hundred  years  been  increasing  in  volume,  until  it 
has  become  a  vast  river  of  living  w^ater,  flowing 
from  the  throne  of  God,  at  which  all  nations  of 
earth  can  quench  their  thirst  and  thirst  no  more. 

Multitudes  of  men  and  women  have  given  their 
lives  in  attestation  of  the  truth  of  the  proclamation, 
and  multitudes  are  now-  ready,  if  need  be,  to  seal 
the  truth  of  the  death,  burial,  and  resurrection  of 
a  risen  Lord,  with  their  lives. 

In  ages  past,  great  generals,  with  a  numerous 
army,  and  extensive  tracts  of  territory  at  their  dis- 
posal, by  shedding  rivers  of  blood  have  established 
vast  empires;  but  the  generals,  the  armies,  and  the 


THE   lord's    supper. 


255 


empires  soon  disappeared,  without  leaving  a  foot 
print  on  the  sands  of  time.  But  here  is  an  empire 
established  not  by  blood  but  by  love,  that  dwells  in 
men's  hearts,  and  controls  the  lives  of  its  subjects. 
And  when  children  collect  around  this  table,  and 
reflect  upon  his  perfections,  and  his  glory,  and  his 
sufterings,  and  finally  his  cruel  death,  and  that  it 
was  all  on  our  account,  it  will  more  deeply  touch 
our  hearts,  and  more  efiectually  awaken  our  sym- 
pathies.^ 

As  a  man,  our  redeemer  was  perfect,  and  alto- 
gether lovely.  These  traits  of  character,  that  are 
found  alone  in  our  blessed  Lord,  are  brought  fresh 
to  our  minds,  while  we  are  partaking  of  these  em- 
blems, and  give  us  full  assurance  of  his  being  a 
perfect  example  to  imitate. 

But  the  most  important  lesson  taught  us,  in 
this  institution  is  the  divinity  of  our  Lord. 
Phil  i:  2-6.  "Who  being  in  the  form  of 
God,  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with  God." 
The  angels  are  commanded  to  worship  him.  This 
shows  the  wonderful  love  and  condescension,  that 
can  never  be  fathomed,  in  leaving  his  glorious 
home  in  heaven  to  die  for  sinful,  polluted  worms. 
This  too  should  be  kept  fresh  in  our  minds  while 


256 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


surrounding  the  table,  enjoying  this  sacred  legacy 
which  he  has  bequeathed  to  us.  Then  with  deep 
humility,  let  us  contemplate  his  death,  and  as  on 
bended  knees  we  worship  him  in  spirit,  and  in  truth, 
may  our  minds  be  absorbed  with  his  love  and  his 
mercy,  for  it  is  by  means  of  his  death  that  we  have 
the  only  hope  of  eternal  life,  he  died  that  we  might 
live;  oh!  glorious  promise!  blessed  hope;  we  be- 
hold in  him  a  divine  being  who  has  all  power  to 
save.  "  Let  us  therefore  come  boldly  to  the  throne 
of  grace,  that  we  may  obtain  mercy,  and  find  grace 
to  help  in  time  of  need;  for  we  have  not  an 
high  priest  who  cannot  be  touched  with  a  feeling 
of  our  infirmities;  for  he  was  in  all  points, 
tempted  like  as  we  are,  yet  without  sin." 

At  this  divine  feast  is  especially  the  auspicious 
time  for  our  minds  to  dwell  upon  this  sacred  sub- 
ject "that  Christ  may  dwell  in  your  hearts  by  faith, 
that  ye  being  rooted  and  grounded  in  love,  may  be 
able  to  comprehend  with  all  saints  what  is  the 
breadth,  and  length,  and  depth,  and  height.  And 
to  know  the  love  of  Christ,  which  passeth  knowl- 
edge, that  ye  might  be  filled  with  all  the  fullness 
of  God ;"  for  this  is  a  memorial  supper  to  keep 
fresh  in  our  minds  the  love  displayed  in  the  sub- 


THE    lord's    supper. 


257 


lime  life  of  our  Lord  and  Savior,  while  the  divinity 
was  tabernacling  in  the  flesh ;  his  whole  earthly 
career  exemplified  that  wonderful  scheme  of  love, 
conceived  in    eternity,   before  time  appeared    in 
swaddling  cloth ;  man  never  could  have  thought 
of  the  scheme  of  grace.     It  required  a  divine  mind 
to  conceive  the  idea  of  the  only  Son  of  God  pos- 
sessing divine  nature,  by  whom  all  things  were 
made,  and    are    upheld,  to   have    originated   the 
thought  of  his  leaving  his  shining  courts  of  heav- 
enly glory,  and  of  bliss,  and  coming  to  earth,  and 
descending  to  the  lowest  condition  of  the  human 
family ;  as  a  root  out  of  dry  ground,  despised  and 
rejected,  and  dying  the  most  painful  and  ignomin- 
ious death  on  the  cross.     To  have  originated  such 
an  idea,   ras  as  much  above  man,  as  the  making  of 
a  world      It  must  have  required  divine  wisdom  to 
have  r  )nceived  the  plan,  for  it  is  as  much  above 
man's  thoughts  as  heaven  is  above  earth  :  that  the 
great  provider  of  nourishment  for  the  human  fam- 
ily, should  be  dependent  upon  a  maiden's  breasts  for 
nutrition,  that  he  by  whom  the  worlds  were  made 
should  not  have  where  to  lay  his  head.    "  0 !  the 
depth  of  the  riches,  both  of  wisdom  and  knowl- 
edge   of  God;   how  unsearchable   are  his   judg- 
17 


258 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


ments,  and  his  ways  past  finding  out,  for  who  hath 
known  the  mind  of  the  Lord  ?  or  who  hath  been 
his  counsellor." 

The  word  Lord,  is  never  applied  to  God  the 
Father  by  the  apostle.  Col.  iii :  17.  ''And  what- 
soever ye  do  in  word  or  deed,  do  all  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  giving  thanks  to  God  and  the 
Father  by  him."  Eph.  iv  :  5,  6.  "  One  Lord,  one 
faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who 
is  above  all,  and  through  all,  and  in  you  all."  God 
signifies  creator ;  Lord  signifies  provider.  In  old 
English  it  signifies  a  bread  dispenser.  Then  w^hen 
we  surround  this  table  it  is  fit,  that  we  should  wor- 
ship the  Lord,  the  Provider,  not  only  for  our  tem- 
poral wants  but  also  for  our  spiritual  wants,  and 
the  author  of  this  monument  of  his  love,  and  we 
will  by  and  through  him  w^orship  God  the  Father 
and  Creator.  When  an  earthly  friend  has  left  us 
some  little  memento  ;  a  lock  of  hair  from  a  child's 
head,  the  parent  with  much  interest  embraces  the 
little  reminder.  The  Lord  in  full  view  of  his  suf- 
fering and  death,  institutes  this  supper,  as  a  mon- 
ument to  perpetuate  the  event,  and  not  to  forget 
him.  Forget !  how  can  I  forget  the  Lord  who 
died  for  me.     Then  let  us  look  back  at  Pilate's  hall, 


THE   LORD  S    SUPPER. 


259 


and  behold  his  lacerated  back,  see  the  clotted 
blood  dripping  from  the  thong;  and  the  blood 
running  down  his  cheek  from  the  crown  of  thorns; 
and  then  remember  that  by  a  glance  of  his  eye  he 
could  have  sent  his  tormentors  to  the  lowest  hell, 
or  have  annihilated  the  entire  family  of  rebels,  with 
the  earth  they  inhabited,  without  their  scarcely  be- 
ing missed  from  his  vast  universe.  Overwhelming 
thought !  how^  can  this  poor  mind  of  mine  grasp 
it.  Behold  him  fainting  under  the  weight  of  the 
cross,  by  which  he  is  about  to  expire,  by  a  long 
painful  death.  "  He  was  oppressed,  and  he  was 
afflicted:  yet  he  opened  .not  his  mouth:  he  is 
brought  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and  as  a  sheep 
before  her  shearers  is  dumb,  so  he  openeth  not  his 
mouth."  Then  it  was  that  hell  howled  with  de- 
light, that  man  was  lost.  "  Awake  0  sword, 
against  my  shepherd,  and  against  the  man  that  is 
my  fellow ;  saith  the  Lord  of  hosts ;  smite  the 
shepherd  and  the  sheep  shall  be  scattered."  His 
disciples  fled  disheartened  and  affrighted.  "  Si- 
mon Peter  saith  unto  them,  I  go  a  fishing.  They 
say  unto  him  :  we  also  go  with  thee."  Their  fond 
hopes  were  blasted,  they  were  left  alone.  Yet  they 
remembered  this  institution  of  love.     And   how 


260 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


sad  they  must  have  been,  the  first  time  after  the 
crucifixion  of  their  Lord,  their  fond  hopes  dissi- 
pated, they  gathered  around  the  table  to  enjoy  this 
keepsake,  and  to  celebrate  this  monument  for  the 
first  time,  and  what  a  suitable  time  for  their  Lord 
to  appear  in  their  midst.  "  Afterward  he  appeared 
unto  the  eleven  as  they  sat  at  meat,  and  upbraided 
them  with  their  unbelief  and  hardness  of  heart ; 
because  they  believed  not  them  which  had  seen  him 
after  he  was  risen."  "  Then  the  same  day  in  the 
evening  being  the  first  day  in  the  week,  when  the 
doors  were  shut  where  the  disciples  were  assembled 
for  fear  of  the  Jews,  came  Jesus,  and  stood  in  the 
midst  and  saith  unto  them,  peace  be  unto  you. 
And  when  he  had  so  said,  he  shewed  unto  them  his 
hands  and  his  side.  Then  were  the  disciples  glad 
when  they  saw  the  Lord." 

"  After  eight  days  again  his  disciples  were  with- 
in, and  Thomas  with  them,  then  came  Jesus,  the 
doors  being  shut,  and  stood  in  the  midst,  and  said 
Peace  be  unto  you."  You  will  observe  that  the 
doors  were  shut  for  fear  of  the  Jews.  Why  did  they 
fear  the  Jews?  It  was  not  on  account  of  their  meet- 
ing, for  the  Jews  could  see  them  coming  together. 
But  tlie  Jews  and  the  Romans  after  them  tried  to 


THE    LORD  S    SUPPER. 


261 


prevent  his  death  being  celebrated  by  a  meal.  We 
find  it  recorded  in  Roman  history.  "  The  Chris- 
tians  met  together  to  eat  a  meal,  and  to  worship 
Christ  their  leader  as  a  God."  [The  governor 
says]  and  I  commanded  them  not  too  meet  any- 
more in  that  name."  The  prophet  says,  ''All  we 
like  sheep  have  gone  astray ;  and  have  turned 
everyone  to  his  own  way,  and  the  Lord  hath  laid 
on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all."  It  was  not  the  suf- 
fering from  his  lacerated  back  nor  mangled  limbs, 
that  suftering  was  as  but  a  drop  to  the  ocean 
when  compared  to  the  indescribable  anguish  of 
God  withdrawing  his  presence  from  him.  "The 
Lord  laid  on  him  the  iniquity  of  us  all "  and  God 
would  withdraw  in  holy  indignation  against  sin; 
although  sin  was  only  imputed  to  him,  the  pun- 
ishment was  real.  He  felt  not  the  horrors  that  are 
experienced  by  perishing  sinners.  The  extreme 
torture  heaped  upon  him  by  his  enemies,  he  bore 
with  serenity,  without  a  groan.  But  when  God 
withdrew  his  presence  from  him,  he  had  to  tread 
"  the  wine  press  alone,  and  of  the  people  none  with 
me."  For  an  instant  the  Son  of  God  seemed  to  be 
sinking  with  despair.  When  his  Father  withdrew 
from  him,  then  was  wrenched   from  his  bleeding 


262 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


heart,  "  My  God !  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me  ?  "  At  this  dreadful  cry  the  earth  shook,  and 
graves  gave  up  their  dead.  Sinner,  when  you  come 
to  die  and  God  withdraws  his  presence  from  you, 
and  you  are  left  alone  to  sink  forever  in  outer 
darkness,  then  you  will  know  what  suffering  is,  all 
other  suftering  will  seem  as  sport. 

When  our  Lord  was  on  the  eve  of  enduring  that 
extreme  suftering,  he  instituted  this  supper,  to 
to  keep  before  his  followers  a  recollection  of  these 
awful  scenes,  that  he  was  about  to  pass  through. 
Let  us,  my  brethren,  look  through  these  emblems 
and  contemplate  on  what  the  Lord  of  glory  suf- 
fered for  us.  This  loaf  and  this  wine  ought  to  re- 
vive and  bring  fresh  to  our  memories  those  suffer- 
ings. Let  us  mourn  over  our  sins,  that  have  caused 
such  extreme  anguish  to  our  Lord,  and  let  us  exult 

with  great  joy  over  the  benefits  resulting  there- 
from. 

"When  Christ  appeared,  the  world  was  enveloped 

in  heathen  darkness,  the  most  enlightened  nations 

were  worshiping  idols  made  with  men's  hands,  out 

of  wood  and  stone.     Prostitution  and  other  crimes 

were  practiced  in  their  sacred  ceremonies,  and  the 

problem  was  demonstrated  that  "  man  by  wisdom 


THE   lord's   supper. 


263 


knew  not  God."     It  was  at  this  juncture  that  our 
Lord   came,  and    brought  with  him  that   divine 
scheme  of  redemption,  by  which  we  are  made  sons 
of  God,  and  joint  heirs  with  Christ,  and  this  is  the 
time  we  should  reflect  on  these  things :  and  like 
Paul  when  he  arrived  at  the  three  taverns,  "  Paul 
thanked  God  and  took  courage,"  for  "  Our  Savior 
Jesus  Christ,  who  had  abolished  death,  and  hath 
brought  life  and  immortality  to  light  through  the 
gospel."     This  beloved  Redeemer  is  now  exalted, 
and  sits  at  the  right  hand  of  the  Father,  and  he  is 
in  possession  of  bright  crowns,  that  he  purchased 
with  his  own  blood,  crowns  for  those  who  when 
they  depart    can    truly  say  with  Paul,  ^^I  have 
fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I 
have  kept  the  faith :  henceforth  there  is  laid  up 
for  me  a  crown  of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord 
the  righteous  Judge  shall  give  me  at  that  day ; 
and  not  to  me  only,  but  to  all  them  also  that  love 
his  appearing."     And  this  is  the  proper  place  and 
time  to  forgive  all  our  enemies,  and  if  they  have 
mistreated  us,  to   forgive   and   forget  their   acts ; 
even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake    hath  forgiven  us^ 
and  says  that  our  sins  will  be  remembered  against 
us  no  more,  but  we  will  not  be  forgiven  unless  we 


264 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


forgive.  "  For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  tresspasses, 
your  heavenly  Father  will  also  forgive  you  "  and 
we  must  seek  the  wisdom  which  is  from  above, 
which  "is  first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,  and  easy 
to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy,  and  good  fruits, 
without  partiality,  and  without  hypocrisy."  This 
supper  has  been  continuously  observed  until  the 
present  time.  The  primitive  church  met  together 
on  the  Lord's  day  not  to  hear  a  sermon  but  to 
break  bread.  Acts,  xx :  7.  "  And  upon  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  when  the  disciples  came  together 
to  break  bread,  Paul  preached  unto  them." 


J 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


ADVICE  TO  A  YOUNG  PREACHER. 

TREAT  all  the  members  of  the  church  alike. 
A  man  is  not  fit  to  be  a  preacher,  who  does 
not  in  his  heart,  love  every  member  of  the  church, 
and  feel  that  each  one  is  his  brother,  for  time  and 
eternity.  Visit  them  all  alike,  and  never  show 
partiality  in  word  or  act ;  for  if  you  are  partial  to 
one,  more  than  you  are  to  another,  this  will  engen- 
der ill  feeling  toward  you. 

Do  not  act  the  ladies'  man,  this  would  injure  the 
popularity  of  a  young  preacher,  although  ever  so 
gifted.  Be  polite  and  have  a  sincere  affection  for 
each  member,  yet  a  gallant  would  be  in  great  dan- 
ger  of   losing    his  popularity,    and    his    religion 

with  it. 

Kever  try  to  be  witty.  Men  may  enjoy  the  wit, 
but  they  will  lose  respect  for  the  preacher,  a  man 
whose  vocation  it  is  to  win  souls  from  eternal 
death,  should  always  be  solemn.  If  a  young 
preacher  is  noted  for  trifling,  frivolous,  witty  con- 
versation, he  is  apt  to  have  a  light  chaffy  mind. 

(265) 


266 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Always  feel,  and  express  with  warmth,  an  interest 
in  the  spiritnal  condition  of  each  one  of  the  mem- 
bers, but  never  allow  yourself  to  become  too  fam- 
iliar with  any ;  a  certain  amount  of  dignitied  sol- 
emnity, should  characterize  every  preacher. 

Never  take  an  active  part  in  the  questions  of  the 
day.  Ton  cannot  serve,  satisfactorily,  two  masters 
at  the  same  time.  Never  express  any  opinion  on 
questions  that  come  up  between  the  members ;  re- 
fer them  to  the  elders  of  the  church ;  take  no  part 
in  family  feuds.  Have  nothing  to  do  with  politi- 
cal questions.  Never  permit  yourself  to  be  drawn 
into  an  argument  upon  any  subject  outside  of  the 
Bible.  Vote  your  sentiments,  but  vote  quietly. 
If  you  attend  to  your  duty  as  a  preacher,  visiting 
all  the  members,  and  feeding  the  flock  on  healthy, 
spiritual  food,  you  will  have  no  money  or  time  to 
devote  to  political  matters,  and  much  less  to  any 
secret  society  or  institution  ;  the  good  that  is  con- 
tained in  all  these  societies,  is  included  in  the 
church.  Christianity  possesses  the  gold  without 
the  alloy. 

Never  seek  to  please  at  the  sacrifice  of  any  duty. 
Read  the  Bible  daily,  and  jjray  three  times  a  day. 
Let  the  great  object  of  your  life  be  to  please  God, 


ADVICE  TO  A  YOUNG  PREACHER. 


267 


to  win  souls  to  Christ ;  in  this  way  you  will  gain 
popularity  in  this  world,  and  a  bright  crown  in  the 
world  to  come.  Before  the  aged,  you  should  rise 
and  stand  up. 

Let  your  dress  be  plain  and  neat,  avoid  every- 
thing gaudy;  always  be  scrupulously  clean.  A 
young  preacher  who  dresses  like  a  fop,  sports  jew- 
elry, and  tells  foolish,  funny  anecdotes  in  the  pul- 
pit, may  please  the  young  and  thoughtless,  for  a 
little  while,  but  eventually  will  lose  his  caste  with 
the  intelligent  members,  and  the  most  important 
of  all,  he  will  lose  it  with  his  God. 

After  much  experience,  having  been  a  member 
of  the  church  for  more  than  fifty  years,  and  hav- 
ing spent  much  of  that  time  in  preaching,  and  in 
studying  the  word  of  the  Lord ;  I  give  it  as  my 
settled  conviction,  that  it  is  best  for  a  young 
preacher  never  to  make  an  efiort  at  eloquence ;  aim 
to  teach,  rather  than  to  please;  one  of  the  best 
preachers  I  ever  knew  would  take  up  a  book  of  the 
New  Testament,  read  a  chapter  and  make  com- 
ments on  it,  and  in  this  way  he  would  go  regularly 
through  the  book— in  this  way  a  preacher  im- 
proves himself  as  well  as  his  audience. 

A  young    preacher  becomes    popular  ,   not  so 


268 


EBMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


much  through  saying  wise  things,  as  by  never 
saying  foolish  ones.  A  modest,  retiring,  young 
preacher  usually  gets  credit  for  more  wisdom  than 
he  possesses. 

Paul  says,  the  gospel  is  the  power  of  God  unto  sal- 
vation, not  a  power  but  the  power ;  then  never  try 
to  use  any  other  power.  ^'  Study  to  shew  thyself 
approved  unto  God,  a  workman  that  needeth  not 
to  be  ashamed,  rightly  dividing  the  word  of 
truth."  Show  that  the  first  four  books  of  the  New 
Testament  were  written  to  produce  faith.  ''That 
many  other  signs  truly  did  Jesus.  . .  .  But  these  are 
written  that  ye  might  believe  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  Son  of  God,  and  that  believing  ye 
might  have  life  through  his  name."  The  fifth 
book,  the  Acts,  was  written  to  show  how  the 
apostles  acted  in  making  Christians  of  persons  who 
possessed  faith;  and  the  remainder  of  the  New 
Testament  was  written  to  Christians,  informing 
them  how  they  must  live  to  obtain  the  crown. 
"Preach  the  word ;  be  instant  in  season,  out  of 
season,  reprove,  rebuke,  exhort  with  all  long  sufler- 
ing  and  doctrine." 

Always  remember  that  God  hath  committed  to 
you    the    ministry  of  reconciliation  through  his 


ADVICE  TO  YOUNG  PREACHERS, 


269 


word,  and  that  the  engrafted  word  is  able  to  save 
men's  souls.  Therefore  feed  the  flock  on  the  sin- 
cere milk  of  the  word  that  they  may  grow  there- 
by. 

Be  thou  an  example  of  the  believers,  in  word, 

in  conversation,  in  charity,  in  spirit,  in  faith,  in 
purity.  Neglect  not  the  fellowship;  impress  upon 
the  members  that  it  is  a  command  of  God,  that  on 
the  first  day  of  the  week,  every  one  must  lay  by 
as  God  has  prospered  him ;  and  that  God  loves  a 
cheerful  giver,  that  he  who  sows  bountifully  shall 
reap  bountifully. 

Never  try  to  make  a  display  of  knowledge. 
Wisdom  is  always  modest.  The  tyro  splashes  on 
the  surface ;  the  expert  swims  deep  and  quiet. 

Remember,  no  one  is  engaged  in  a  more  noble 
calling.  Conduct  yourself  as  the  son  of  a  King, 
as  the  Lord's  embassador.  Insist  on  each  mem- 
ber attending  the  weekly  prayer-meeting ;  and  en- 
deavor to  get  them  all  to  engage  in  public,  as  well 
as  private  prayer.  When  a  member  is  absent,  call 
to  learn  the  reason. 

Have  old  and  young  to  attend  Sunday-school 
and  you  be  prepared  to  teach  the  lesson. 


CHAPTER  XV. 


PROPHECIES   NOW   BEING   FULFILLED. 

I  THINK  that  it  was  during  the  summer  of  1871, 
while  walking  down  the  street  in  Indianapolis, 
Ind,  Elder  Elijah  Goodwin,  ex-President  of  But- 
ler University,  invited  me  to  go  with  him  to  a 
meeting  of  '*  The  Reasoners,"  a  society  discarding 
revelation  as  given  in  the  word  of  God.  After 
hearing  the  speaker  say  in  his  speech,  that  the 
Bible  was  full  of  lies,  and  was  a  clog  on  our  country, 
and  a  hindrance  to  civilization,  I  was  invited  to 
speak.  As  well  as  I  can  remember  after  the  ex- 
piration of  twenty  years,  I  spoke,  somewhat  as 
follows :  Gentlemen,  I  have  never  been  so  sur- 
prised. I  have  been  taught,  from  a  child,  to  re- 
vere the  Bible   as  the   word  of  God.    A  godly 

mother,  when  I  was  but  an  infant,  taught  me  to 
kneel  by  the  bed  and  repeat, 

"Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  the  Lord,  my  soul  to  keep; 
And  if  I  die  before  I  wake, 
I  pray  the  Lord,  my  soul  to  take." 

It  has  been  my  custom  ever  since,  to  ask  God  to 
(270) 


PROPHECIES    NOW    BEING    FULFILLED. 


271 


take  care  of  me  while  asleep.  My  faith  then  was 
from  my  mother.  My  faith  now  is  from  that  inter- 
nal evidence  of  the  scriptures  that  caused  Sir 
Isaac  Newton  to  possess  unshaken  faith  in  the  au- 
thenticity of  the  Bible.  It  is  very  easy  to  say,  but 
not  so  easy  to  prove  that "  the  Bible  is  full  of  lies." 
My  friend,  why  did  you  not  point  out  one  of  these 
lies? 

After  reading  the  Bible   carefully   through,   I 
have  been  unable  to  discover  one  falsehood  in  it. 
Now  gentlemen,  let  me  ask  you  a  few  questions, 
and   I  will  preface  them  •  by   reading   from   Na- 
hum    i:    8  and    ii :    6.      ''With    an  overrunning 
flood,  he  will  make  an  utter  end  of  the  place,"  (he 
is  here  speaking  of  Nineveh)  "  the  gates  of  the 
rivers  shall  be  opened  and  the  palace  shall  be  dis- 
solved."    iii :  13.     "  The  gates  of  the  land  shall  be 
set  wide  open  unto  thine  enemies  :  the  fire  shall 
devour    thy  bars."     Now  here    is  a  remarkable 
prophecy,  that  Nineveh  the  oldest,  and  most  popu- 
lous  city  on  the  globe   should  be   destroyed  by 
water,  and  the  palace  destroyed  by  fire,  and  that 
the  city  should  never  be  rebuilt.     Go,  gentlemen, 
and  read  Rollin's  Ancient  History  and  see  that  these 
prophecies  have  been  literally  fulfilled.     Suppose 


272 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


PROPHECIES   NOW    BEING   FULFILLED. 


273 


it  had  been  said  of  Chicago,  five  years  ago,  and  it 
was  Uterally  true  of  that  city  to-day,  would  you 
say  "it  just  happened  so."     But  let  me  give  you 
another    example,  I   read    from   Isaiah   xih:    19. 
"And  Babylon,  the  glory  of  kingdoms,  the  beauty 
of  the  Chaldee's  excellency,  shall  be  as  when  God 
overthrew  Sodom  and  Gomorrah.     It  shall  never 
be  inhabited."     Also  xliv:    27.      "That  saith  to 
the  deep,  be  dry,  and  I  will   dry  up   thy  rivers. 
That  saith  of  Cyrus,  he  is  my  shepherd,  and  shall 
perform  all  my  pleasure.     Thus  saith  the  Lord  to 
his  anointed  to,  Cyrus,  whose  right  hand  I  have 
holden,  to  subdue  nations  before  him :  and  I  will 
loose  the  loins  of  kings,  to  open  before  him  the 
two-leaved  gates  ;  and  the  gates  shall  not  be  shut, 
I  will  go  before  thee  and  make  the  crooked  places 
straight,  I  will  break  in  pieces  the  gates  of  brass 
and  cut  in   sunder  the  bars  of  iron.     And  I  will 
give  thee  the  treasures   of  darkness,  and  hidden 
riches  of  secret  places  that  thou  mayest  know  that 
I,  the  Lord,  w^hich  call  thee  by  name,  am  the  God 
of  Israel."     Rollins  informs  us  that  when  Cyrus 
took  Babylon  by  turning  the  river  and  entering 
through  the  brass  gates,  and  when  he  saw  where 
his  name,  a  hundred  years  before  his  birth,  had 


been  recorded  in  the  Jewish  scriptures,  he  was  in- 
duced to  decree  as  follows : 

"  Thus  says  Cyrus,  King  of  Persia,  the  Lord  God 
of  heaven  hath  given  me  all  the  kingdoms  of  the 
earth,  and  he  has  charged  me  to  build  him  a  house 
at  Jerusalem  w^hich  is  in  Judah,  and  build  the 
house  of  the  Lord  God  of  Israel,  he  is  the  God, 
which  is  in  Jerusalem." 

Kow  gentlemen  suppose  this  had  been  said  of 
New  York  City  ten  years  ago,  and  the  proph- 
ecy had  literally  been  fulfilled,  would  you  say, 
"it  just  happened  so."  But  let  us  read  from 
the  jjrophet  Ezekiel  xxvi :  4,  5.  "And  they 
shall  destroy  the  w^alls  of  Tyrus  and  break 
down  her  towers.  I  will  also  scrape  the  dust  from 
her,  and  make  her  like  the  top  of  a  rock.  It  shall 
be  a  place  for  the  spreading  of  nets  in  the  midst  of 
the  sea."  Now  w^hile  Nineveh  and  Babylon  were 
each  to  be  destroyed  utterly,  and  never  rebuilt. 
Tyre  should  become  a  place  for  the  spreading  of 
nets,  which  has  thus  been  fulfilled  to  the  letter. 
Perhaps  for  the  sake  of  variety,  you  would  like 
to  have  some  infidel  authority.  I  will  quote  from 
David  Hume,  one  of  the  most  accomi)lished  of 
infidel  writers  of  the  eighteenth  century;  he  says : 
18 


274 


EEMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


PROPHECIES   NOW    BEING    FULFILLED, 


275 


1 


*'One  of  the  most  singular  events  in  history  was  the 
manner  in  wliich  the  siege  of  Tyre  was  conducted 
])y  Alexander  the  Great.  Irritated  that  a  single 
city  should  alone  oppose  his  victorious  raarcli, 
enraged  at  the  murder  of  some  of  his  soldiers, 
and  fearful  of  his  fame,  even  his  army  despairing 
ot  success,  could  not  deter  him  from  the  siege. 
And  Tyre  was  taken  in  a  manner  the  success  of 
which  was  more  wonderful  than  the  design  was 
daring;  for  it  was  surrounded  by  a  wall,  one  hun- 
dred and  lifty  feet  in  height,  and  situated  on  an  is- 
land half  a  mile  from  the  shore.  A  mound  was 
formed  from  the  continent  to  the  island,  and  the 
ruins  of  old  Tyre,  two  hundred  and  forty  years 
after  its  demolition,  afforded  ready  materials  for 
the  purpose.  Such  was  the  work,  that  the 
attempts  at  first  defeated  the  power  of  an  Alex- 
ander. The  enemy  consumed,  and  the  storm  des- 
troyed it.  But  its  remains  buried  beneath  the 
water,  formed  a  barrier  which  rendered  successful 
his  renewed  efforts.  A  vast  mass  of  additional 
matter  was  requisite.  The  soil  and  the  very  rub- 
bish were  gathered  and  heaped.  And  the  mighty 
conqueror  who  afterward  failed  in  raising  again 
any  of  the  ruins   of  Babylon,  cast  those  of  Tyre 


into  the  sea,  and  took  her  very  dust  from  off  her. 
He  left  not  the  remnant  of  a  ruin — and  the  site 
of  ancient  Tyre  is  now  unknown."  Book  4,  Chap. 
7,  p.  19.  Ezek.  xxiv  :  4,  12,  21.  "  They  shall  lay 
thy  stones,  and  thy  timber,  and  thy  dust  in  the 
midst  of  the  water.  I  will  also  scrape  her  dust 
from  her,  I  will  make  thee  a  terror,  and  thou  shalt 
be  no  more.  Thou  shalt  be  sought  for,  yet  thou 
shalt  never  be  found  again." 

Ezekiel,  xxvi:  14,  speaking  of  modern    Tyre, 
the  prophet  says  :  "  I  will  make  her  like  the  top  of 
a  rock ;  it  shall  be  a  place  for  the  spreading  of  nets 
in  the  midst   of  the   sea,  for  I  have   spoken  it." 
Volney,  a  noted  infidel,  in  1787,  published  his  trav- 
els.   In  2nd  Vol.  p.  212,  he  says :  "  The  whole  vil- 
lage of  Tyre  contains  only  fifty  or  sixty  poor  fam- 
ilies, who  live  obscurely  on  the  produce  of  their 
little  ground  and  a  trifling  fishery."     Shaw's  Trav- 
els.  Vol.  2,  p.  31 :  "  Fishermen  dry  their  nets  upon 
the  rocks  and  ruins  of  Tyre."     Suppose  the  proph- 
ecies had  been  made  about  Boston  and  they  were 
now  fulfilled,  would  you  look  wise  and  say  "  it  hap- 
pened   so."     Isaiah  xxxiv :    10  :  "  The  smoke  of 
Idumea  shall  go  up  from  generation  to  generation, 
it  shall  lie  waste ;  none  shall  pass  through  it  for- 


276 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


ever  and  ever."  Voliiey,  the  iiilidel,  in  his  travels, 
Vol.  2,  p.  344  says  :  "  This  country  (Idumea)  has 
not  been  visited  by  any  modern  traveler,  but  well 
merits  such  attention,  for  it  was  a  wealthy  and 
populous  country."  Volney  passed  to  the  west  of 
it  as  he  informs  us  that  he  could  not  get  an  escort 
to  go  through  it. 

Burckhardt,  the  celebrated  Swiss  traveler,  who 
in  1810-12  lived  amongst  the  Arabs  entered  on  the 
north-east  the  territories  of  Idumea.  He  says:  "  I 
am  without  protection  in  the  midst  of  a  desert 
where  no  traveler  has  ever  before  been  seen.  I 
liave  for  the  first  time  felt  fear,  my  route  is  the 
most  dangerous."  In  his  book  on  Syria  he  says, 
page  421 :  ''I  offered  the  Arabs  ten  times  as  much 
as  they  required  to  go  in  any  other  direction,  if 
they  would  go  with  me  through  Idumea,  but  they 
talked  of  dangers,  and  declined,  and  I  was  com- 
pelled to  abandon  the  undertaking,  and  went  along 
their  northern  boundary."  This  John  Lewis  Burck- 
hardt had  explored  Africa  before  Stanley  saw  the 
light;  yet  he  failed  to  explore  Idumea. 

Captain  Irby,  in  his  travels,  p.  336,  gives  the 
same  testimony,  that  he  was  unable  to  get  an  es- 
cort through  Idumea,  and  had  to  abandon  the  un- 


I 


PROPHECIES    NOW    BEING    FULFILLED. 


277 


s 
i.   J 


dertaking  of  seeing  the  country.     If  necessary,  I 
could  add  other  authority  to  the  same  effect,  but 
deem   it   unnecessary,   as  ''it  just   happened   so." 
England  would  find  it  a  much  shorter  route  from 
Cairo  to  her  possessions  in  India,  to  pass  through, 
instead  of  around  Idumea.     The  remains  of  an  old 
Roman    road    passing  through    Egypt    to   India 
through  Tetra,  the  once  flourishing  capital  of  Idu- 
mea, and  on  through  Jerusalem  to  India,  may  be 
seen  on  the  south-west  and  north-east  side  of  Idu- 
mea.    Now,  gentlemen,  Indiana  is  but  little  larg- 
er than  Idumea.     You  have  a  state  road,  going 
from  Cincinnati  to  Chicago,  passing  through  this 
city.     Suppose  it  had  been  said,  forty  years  ago, 
that    "no  one    shall    forever  and    forever"    pass 
through  Indiana,  and  for  the  last  past  twenty  years, 
any  one  going  from  Cincinnati  to  Chicago,  had  to 
go   round  through  Michigan,  by  the  way  of  the 
north,  or  by  the  way  of  the  south  through  Ken- 
tucky and  Illinois  to  reach  Chicago :   But  then  "  it 
just  happened  so."      Let    us  read  from  Ezekiel, 
chap.  XXX  :  13-18.     "  I  will  destroy  the  idols,  and 
images  shall  cease,  and  there  shall  no  more  be  a 
prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt.     A  cloud  shall  cover 
her,  and  her  daughter  shall  go  into  captivity." 


278 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


PROPHECIES    NOW    BEING   FULFILLED. 


279 


Volney,  Vol.  1,  p.  74,  103,  110.     «  The  Mamelukes, 
purchased  as   slaves   and   introduced   as  soldiers, 
soon  usurped  the  power  and  elected  a  leader.     If 
their  first  establishment  was  a  singular  event,  their 
continuance  is  not  less  extraordinary.     They  are 
replaced  by   slaves  brought  from   their  original 
country.     Everything  the  traveler  sees  or  hears  re- 
minds him  he  is  in  the  land  of  slavery  and  tyranny." 
I  will  quote  from  another  reasoner,  Gibbon,  Vol. 
6,  p.  109.     "  A  more  unjust  and  absurd  constitu- 
tion can  not  be  devised  than  that  which  condemns 
the  native   of  a  country  to   perpetual  servitude 
under  the  arbitrary   dominion   of  strangers   and 
slaves,  yet  such  has  been  the  state  of  Egypt  for 
above  five  hundred  years."     Ezek.  xxx:  13.     "I 
will  lay  the  land  waste  by  the  hand  of  strangers 
and  all  that  is  therein,  and  there  shall  be  no  more 
a  prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt ;  the  scepter  of  Egypt 
shall  depart  away,  it  shall  be  the  basest  of  king- 
doms."    Ezek.  xxx:  6,  7,  12,  13  and  xxxii:  15.     A 
remarkable   feature  in   this  prophecy  is,  that  in 
Egypt,  one  of  the  most  enlightened  countries,  and 
yet  noted  for  worshiping  many  idols,  "  should  be- 
come the  basest  of  kingdoms,  and  idols  should 
cease,"    As  a  country  becomes  debased,  idol  wor- 


ship increases;  Egypt  is  the  only  exception,  they 
no  longer  worship  idols.     But  then  *' it  only  just 
happened  so."     Rev.  iii:  8,     "  The  Lord  opened, 
and   no   man   shutteth,   and   to  the  angel  of  the 
church  in  Philadelphia  write:     These  things  saith 
he  that  is  holy,  he  that  is  true,  he  that  hath  the 
key  of  David,  he  that  openeth,  and  no  man  shut- 
teth and  shutteth  and  no  man  openeth;  I  know  thy 
works ;  behold  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door, 
and   no   man   can   shut  it,   for  thou  hast  a  little 
strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  de- 
nied my  name."     Chap,  iii:  10.     "I  also  will  keep 
thee  from  the  hour  of  temptation  which  shall  come 
upon  all  the  world."     I  quote  from  infidel  author- 
ity,  "  Gibbon's   Decline  of  the  Roman   Empire," 
Vol  6,  p.  229      ^^Mahometans  have  passed  over  all 
the  rest  of  Asia  Minor,  like   a  besom  of  destruc- 
tion,  and  have   fought  for  eighty  years   agamst 
Philadelphia,  and  the  proudest  Mahometan  that 
has  ever  sat  on  the  throne,  has  had  to  enter  into  a 
treaty  of  peace  with  the  Christians  of   Philadel- 
phia, and  the  Christians  are  still  worshiping  there, 
whether  from  accident  or  prophecy,  I  am  unable  to 
say,  but  candor  forces  me  to  make  the  confession, 
that  the  church  in  Philadelphia  stands  like  a  pil- 


280 


REMINISCKNCES    AND    SERMONS. 


PROPHECIES   NOW    BEING    FULFILLED 


281 


I 


lar  amid  a  scene  of  ruins."  I  have  made  the  above 
quotation  from  memory,  but  it  is  substantially  cor- 
rect; what  will  you  do  with  it?  Gibbon  is  one 
of  the  ablest  writers  that  has  ever  written  against 
the  Bible.     But  "  it  just  happened  so." 

We  have  shown  by  that  reliable  historian,  Rol- 
lins, that  Nineveh  was  destroyed  by  an  over-run- 
ning flood,  and  that  the  city  hall  was  consumed  by 
fire;  and  we  have  shown  by  this  prince  of  his- 
torians, that  Babylon  was  destroyed  by  the  drying 
up  of  waters  and  that  the  brass  gates  were  left 
open,  and  that  Cyrus'  name  was  given  before  he 
was  born.  We  have  shown  by  the  infidel,  Volney, 
that  the  prophecy  that  Tyre  should  become  a 
place  for  the  fishermen  to  dry  their  nets,  had  been 
fulfilled.  We  have  shown  that  the  prophecy  made 
2500  years  ago  by  Isaiah ''That  no  man  should 
ever  pass  through  Idumea  forever  and  forever," 
has  been  fulfilled  as  shown  by  the  infidel, 
Volney,  by  the  great  explorer,  Burckhardt,  and  by 
Captain  Irby.  Manford  gives  the  same  testimony. 
If  you  w^ill  not  be  convinced  by  this  cloud  of  wit- 
nesses, you  would  not  though  one  rose  from  the 
dead.  Egypt  is  the  only  country  upon  the  earth 
where,  for  500  years  the  government  has  been  in 


the  hands  of  foreigners.    In  the  language  of  Eze- 
kiel    ''I  will  lay  the  land  waste  and  all  that  is 
therein,  by  the  hand  of  strangers  and  there  shall 
be  never  a  prince  of  the  land  of  Egypt,  the  scepter 
of  Egypt  shall  depart  away,  it  shall  be  the  basest 
of  kingdoms."     Gibbon,  Vol.  6,  p.  109.     Volney's 
travels.  Vol.  1,  p.  74,  103, 110.     These  two  celebra- 
ted infidel   historians,  show  that  the  prophecy  is 
being  fulfilled.     And  Idumea,  according  to  Volney, 
has  been   a   populous    country,    and  men   travel 
through  every  other  country  on  the  globe.  Volney 
says :  "  No  modern  traveler  has  ever  passed  through 
Idumea."     Sir  Isaac  Newton  says,  it  was  the  birth- 
place   of  letters  ;  the  home  of  Job.     Yet  Isaiah, 
2620  years  ago,    wrote:      "Idumea  shall  become 
desolate,  and  no   one  shall  pass  through  it  any 
more."     Men  can  laugh  at  these  things  now,  but 
hell  will  be  a  poor  place  for  laughing. 

To  say  that,  "  the  prophecies  were  the  product 
of  a  modern  date,"  is  inexcusable  stupidity.  The 
Old  Testament  was  translated  into  the  Greek  lan- 
guage and  was  in  possession  of  three  of  the  en- 
lio-htened  nations  of  the  earth,  for  more  than  300 
years  before  the  Christian  era,  and  then  too,  the 
scriptures    have   been   quoted    by     historians    in 


282 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SEKMONS. 


PROPHECIES   NOW   BEING   FULFILLED, 


283 


I 


every  century  from  then  till  now.  But  no  unin- 
spired person  could  have  seen  the  present  condi- 
tion of  these  nations,  four  hundred  years  ago. 

These  prophecies  are  recorded  m  my  old  Bible. 
If  you  wish  to  see  the  book,  call  at  my  house,  736 
Meridian  St.,  in  this  city,  (Indianapolis,  Indiana.) 
This  book  was  printed  in  the  year  A.  D.  1480 ; 
that  it  was  printed  when  it  claims  to  have  been,  is 
shown  by  its  being  illuminated,  that  is,  the  first 
letter  in  each  chapter,  and  every  other  capital  let- 
ter was  made  with  a  pen.  Before  the  art  of  print- 
ing was  discovered  in  1436,  in  every  district  of 
country  there  was  an  educated  man,  called  lawyer, 
doctor,  scribe,  who  did  the  writing  for  his  district. 
If  a  king  or  governor  or  any  other  person  who 
would  pay,  had  writing  to  be  done,  he  called  on 
this  man  of  titles,  who  went  to  his  iron  chest  and 
took  therefrom  a  round  stick,  three  feet  long,  and 
a  half  an  inch  in  diameter,  he  took  a  strip  of 
parchment  half  an  inch  broad,  tacked  one  end  of 
the  parchment  on  one  end  of  the  stick,  then  wound 
it  around  until  the  stick  was  covered,  he  then 
wrote  on  the  parchment  from  one  end  to  the  other 
of  the  stick,  he  then  unwound  it  and  handed  it  to 
the  post;  this  was  a  person  who  had  been  trained 


from  childhood,  to  run;  he  carried  the  writing  to 
another  post.  In  this  way,  a  message  was  sent 
from  one  country  to  another,  and  if  it  was  inter- 
cepted  it  could  not  be  read.  When  it  reached  its 
destination,  a  scribe  was  sent  for;  he  wound  the 
parchment  around  his  stick  (they  were  of  a  unitorm 
size  and  owned  alone  by  the  scribes);  the  document 
was  then  read.  The  scribes  became  wealthy  and 
exerted  a  great  influence. 

When  the  art  of  printing  was  discovered,  they 
tiled  a  complaint,  stating  that  the  inventors  were 
instigated  by,  and  derived  their  power  from  the 
devil;  as  evidence,  they  made  a  number  of  books, 
and  they  were  all  precisely  alike,  that  no  scribe 
living  or  dead,  could  do  such  a  thing;  these  honest 
Germans  were  imprisoned,  they  sent  for  the  scribes 
and  entered  into   a  contract,  that  a  capital  letter 
should  not  be  printed.     All  books  had  to  be  taken 
to  the  scribes,  and  they  inserted  all  capital  letters 
with  a  pen  and  charged  enormous  fees  for  so  doing. 
The  printers  were  set  at  liberty,  and  the  contract 
remained  in  force  for  fifty  years,  and  is  called  the 
age  of  illumination.      The   capital  letters   in  all 
books,   from   1436   until  1486,  were  made  with  a 
pen.     I  bought  a  large  illuminated   book  of  ser- 


284 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


I 


mons  printed  in  1475.  But  tell  me,  you  wise  men 
of  the  nineteenth  century,  how  men,  four  hundred 
years  ago  could  have  foreseen  that  the  Arabs 
would  not  be  conquered  for  four  hundred  years, 
and  that  Egypt  for  four  hundred  years  should  not 
have  a  native  prince,  and  that  no  one  should  pass 
through  Idumea  for  four  hundred  years.  You 
have  eyes,  but  you  see  not;  ears  you  have,  but  you 
hear  not;  hearts  you  have,  but  j^ou  understand  not: 
for  you  have  shut  your  eyes  and  stopped  your  ears 
and  closed  your  hearts,  lest  you  should  see  with 
your  eyes,  hear  with  your  ears  and  understand 
with  vour  hearts  and  should  be  converted  and  the 
Lord  shouhl  heal  you. 

The  reader  will  excuse  me  the  length  of  this 
article:  I  have  added  to  it  until  it  is  not  the  same 
speech  I  delivered  in  Indianapolis,  in  every  respect, 
but  is  more  Icnscthv.  Before  I  close,  I  will  relate 
one  more  incident  "that  just  happened  so." 
When  I  was  a  young  man,  I  read,  with  much  in- 
terest, Thomas  Jefferson's  book  on  Western  Vir- 
ginia, published  in  1787.  In  it,  he  gives  it  as  his 
belief,  that  in  fifty  years  from  a  day  there  given, 
that  there  will  not  be  a  Bible  in  the  United  States, 
unless  it  be  in  some  curiosity  shop;  just  fifty  years 
from  that  date,  on  the  day  he  designated,  the  Am- 
erican Bible  Society  passed  a  resolution  to  supply 
every  family  in  the  United  States  with  a  Bible, — 
But  then  "it  just  happened  so." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BE  RELIED  ON  AS 
EVIDENCE  OF  PARDON. 

Acts,  xxiii:  1.  ''  And  Paul  earnestly  beholding  the  council 
Baid,  men  and  brethren,  I  have  lived  in  all  good  conscience  be- 
fore God,  until  this  day." 

I  KNOW  of  no  place  in  the  word  of  God  where 
we  are  told  to  take  comfort  from  any  feeling 
within  us.  James  teaches  us  that  it  is  not  faith 
without  works,  but  it  is  faith  with  works,  that 
may  be  relied  on  as  evidence  of  pardon.  When 
the  murderers  of  our  iJlessed  Lord  were  pricked 
in  their  hearts,  Peter  did  not  tell  them,  that  it  was 
evidence  that  God  Avould  pardon  them;  nor  did 
he  ever  tell  anyone  to  take  comfort  from  their  dis- 
tress of  mind  :  but  he  told  them  to  "  repent  and  be 
baptized  every  one  of  you  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ,  for  the  remission  of  sins."  It  is  not  being 
distressed  in  mind,  that  is  evidence  of  pardon,  un- 
less it  terminates  in  obedience  :  but  it  is  the  obedi- 
ence that  unhappiness  leads  to.  The  young  man 
that  ran  and  knelt  before  the  Lord,  saying.  Good 

Master,   what    must    I    do?    was    distressed    in 

(285) 


286 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


mind,  but   not  distressed  enough  to  lead  to   obe- 
dience.   Judas   was   unhappy   and   grieved   over 
the   sins   he  had  committed.     Impulse  or  feeling 
unless  resting  upon  obedience  cannot  be  depended 
upon   as   evidence  of  God's  favor.     The  word  of 
God  fails  to   tell  us  that  dreams,  impressions  or 
feelings,  should  be  sources  of  comfort  prior  to  obe- 
dience.    Persons  are  frequently  misled  in  this  way, 
and    consider  these    impressions   as    faith.     Saul 
acted  in  all  good  conscience  when  he  persecuted 
the  Christians,  such   was  the   argument  used  by 
an    able    writer.     The    prophet   that    prophesied 
ao-ainst  the  altar  at  Bethel,  (1  Kings  xiii)  acted  in 
all  good  conscience  when  be  tarried  to  dine.     He 
thought  that  he  was  doing  God's  service,  but  God 
killed  him  for  his  stupidity.     The  great  apostle  to 
the  Gentiles  says :    "  The  gospel  which  I  preach 
unto  you,  which  also  ye  have  received  and  where- 
in ye  stand  by  which  also  ye  are  saved,  if  ye  keep  in 
memory  what  I  preached  unto  you,  unless  ye  have 
believed  in  vain,  for  I  delivered  unto  you,  first  of 
all,  that  which  I  also    received,  how   that  Christ 
died,  for  our  sins,  according  to  the  scriptures,  and 
that   he  was  buried,  and  that  he  arose  again   the 
third  day  according  to  the  scriptures." 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BB  RELIED  ON,  ETC. 


287 


Conscience  may  lead  us  astray,  yet  we  should  be 
guided  by  it.     From  childhood  to  the  grave  con- 
science is  as  constant  a  companion  as  shadow  is  to 
the  substance ;  and  he  who  never  violates  his  con- 
science, is  of  all  men,  the  one  to  perform  noble 
deeds.     It  exalts  the  man  more  than   any  other 
quality.     It  was  this  that  was  one  of  the  requisites 
to  tit  that  great  man   for  the  apostleship.    We 
sometimes  speak  of  a  conscientious  person  as  a 
firm  or  positive  man.     Conscience,  like  those  good 
old   judges  ot   antiquity,    should   never  doft   the 
robes  of  ermine.     Education  is  a  wonderful  lever. 
It  exalts  the  savage  to  the  civilian  :  but  conscience 
is  her  elder  brother.     While  education  is  the  silver, 
conscience  is  the    gold  of  life.     If  any   one   tac- 
ulty  or  principle  of  the  human  mind  exalts  the 
man  above  another,  it  is  conscience.     Life  is  an 
abortion,  humanity  a  ftiilure,  hope  a  wreck,  if  con- 
science stands  not  at  the  helm  to  direct  the  barque 
of  human  life.     When  she  marches  hand  in  hand 
with    her    younger    sister,  education,  then    man 
ascends  the  golden  steps  that  lead  to  the  haven  of 
eternal  rest ;  and  when  she  is  stifled,  the  dark  ser- 
pentine labyrinth  that  leads  to  eternal  woe  is  pur- 
sued.    Conscience  is  that  inward  principle,  which 


288 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


i 


says,  Do  your  duty  tbougli  it  cause  the  heavens  to 
fall.  Is  it  always  a  correct  guide?  "  As  the  twig 
is  bent  the  tree  inclines  "  said  the  wisest  king  that 
that  ever  sat  on  a  Jewish  throne. 

Education  scoops  out  the  channel  in  which  the 
stream    of    conscience    flows.     Paul's    conscience 
approbated  as  strongly,  and  approved  as  firmly, 
when  consenting  unto  Stephen's  death,  or  travers- 
ing the  sun  burnt  plains  of  Palestine,  persecuting 
the  Christians  as  when  he  made  the  good  confes- 
sion that  cost  his  life.     When  Joseph's  bloody  coat 
was  shown  to  Jacob  his  sorrow  was  as  great  as 
though  his  favorite   son  had  been   killed.     It  is 
right  to  be  governed  by  conscience,  whether  con- 
science be  correctly  informed  or  not.     Sin  consists 
not  in  being  governed  by  wrong  conscience,  but  in 
weaving  a  cocoon  around  us  shutting  out  knowl- 
edo-e.     Man  is  held  accountable  according  to  tlie 
light  surrounding  him,  this   much  and  no  more. 
Conscience  leads    man    astray  when  he  is  unin- 
formed, yet  he  is  held    accountable  by  divine  as 
well  as  human  laws. 

The  man  who  rejects  the  Bible  will  be  damned, 
though  he  acts  in  good  conscience;  for  God  has 
given  evidence  of  its  authenticity;  and  a  man  who 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BE  RELIED  ON,  ETC. 


289 


will  not  be  convinced  by  it  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
testimony. 

At   Los   Angeles,  a   short  time  ago,  I  inquired 
when  the  cars  would  start  for  Santa  Anna.  "  Quar- 
ter past  four,  and  they  will  pass  on  the  south-west 
side  of  the  depot!"     At  the  time  a  train  came 
rushing  in  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  depot. 
Our  company  were  soon  seated  in  the  car  and  we 
went  merrily  along.     Conscience  said   you  are  all 
right,  but  when  we  came  to  the  forks  of  the  rail- 
road we  started  north-west,  instead  of  south,  and 
the  conductor  informed  us  that  we  were  on  the 
Santa  Monica  train.     The  Santa  Anna  train  had 
been  delayed  by  an  accident.     I  am  confident  that 
our  Lord  never  gave  the  terms  of  pardon  but  once, 
and  that  he  then  made  them  so  plain  that  a  person 
will  not  be  excused  who  rejects  them.     But  are 
there  not  intelligent  men  who  have  started   for 
heaven  without  complying  with  the  terms  ?     Yes, 
and  there  were  intelligent  men  going  to  Santa  Anna 
on  the  Santa  Monica  train.     It  will  be  but  little 
comfort  in   the  day  of  judgment  to  know  that 
many   wise   men    were  with   you  on   the   wrong 
train. 

Take  two  mothers,  who  having  paid  their  vows 
19 


288 


KEMINISCENCES  AND  SERMONS. 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BE  RELIED  ON,  ETC. 


289 


i 


i 


\. 


says,  Do  your  duty  though  it  cause  the  heavens  to 
fall.  Is  it  always  a  correct  guide?  "  As  the  twig 
is  bent  the  tree  inclines  "  said  the  wisest  king  that 
that  ever  sat  on  a  Jewish  throne. 

Education  scoops  out  the  channel  in  wliich  the 
stream  of  conscience  flows.  Paul's  conscience 
approbated  as  strongly,  and  approved  as  firmly, 
when  consenting  unto  Stephen's  death,  or  travers- 
ing the  sun  burnt  plains  of  Palestine,  persecuting 
the  Christians  as  when  he  made  the  good  confes- 
sion that  cost  his  life.  ^Vlien  Joseph's  bloody  coat 
was  shown  to  Jacob  his  sorrow  was  as  great  as 
though  his  favorite  son  had  been  killed.  It  is 
right  to  be  governed  by  conscience,  whether  con- 
science be  correctly  informed  or  not.  Sin  consists 
not  in  being  governed  by  wrong  conscience,  but  in 
weaving  a  cocoon  around  us  shutting  out  knowl- 
edo-e.  Man  is  held  accountable  according  to  the 
light  surrounding  him,  this  much  and  no  more. 
Conscience  leads  man  astray  when  he  is  unin- 
formed, yet  he  is  held  accountable  by  divine  as 
well  as  human  laws. 

The  man  who  rejects  the  Bible  will  be  damned, 
though  he  acts  in  good  conscience;  for  God  has 
given  evidence  of  its  authenticity ;  and  a  man  who 


will  not  be  convinced  by  it  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
testimony. 

At   Los   Angeles,  a   short  time  ago,  I  inquired 
when  the  cars  would  start  for  Santa  Anna.  "  Quar- 
ter past  four,  and  they  will  pass  on  the  south-west 
side  of  the  depot!"     At  the  time  a  train  came 
rushing  in  on  the  south-west  side  of  the  depot. 
Our  company  were  soon  seated  in  the  car  and  we 
went  merrily  along.    Conscience  said   you  are  all 
right,  but  when  we  came  to  the  forks  of  the  rail- 
road we  started  north-west,  instead  of  south,  and 
the  conductor  informed  us  that  we  were  on  the 
Santa  Monica  train.     The  Santa  Anna  train  had 
been  delayed  by  an  accident.     I  am  confident  that 
our  Lord  never  gave  the  terms  of  pardon  but  once, 
and  that  he  then  made  them  so  plain  that  a  person 
will  not  be  excused  who  rejects  them.     But  are 
there  not  intelligent  men  who  have  started   for 
heaven  without  complying  with  the  terms  ?     Yes, 
and  there  were  intelligent  men  going  to  Santa  Anna 
on  the  Santa  Monica  train.     It  will  be  but  little 
comfort  in   the  day  of  judgment  to  know  that 
many   wise   men    were  with   you  on   the   wrong 
train. 

Take  two  mothers,  who  having  paid  their  vows 
19 


290 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


and  served  their  God,  are  now  homeward  bound ; 
the  one  trom  Mount   Ephraini  journeying   from 
Bethel,  where  she  dedicated  her  only  child  to  the 
temple  service,  and  after  a  fond  embrace,  she  left 
him  with  Eli,  the  pr-iest.     She  lent  the  child  to  the 
Lord  as  long  as  he  liveth.     She  is  now  resting  on 
the  carpeted  bank  of  the  Chereth  stream,  beneath 
the  l)road  leaves  of  the  sycamine.     The  other,  a 
mother  from  Cashmere,  is  returning  from  the  Gran- 
ges River  where  she  offered  up  her  only  child  to 
India's  favorite  god.     After  a  long  and  weary  jour- 
ney, she  is  now  reclining  in  a  spicy  grove  on  nature's 
velvet-carpeted  bank  of  the  Indus  brook ;  bright 
tears  are  tracing  down  her  womanly  cheeks  as  she 
thinks  of  the  crocodile  feeding  on  her  noble,  brave 
beautiful,  bright-eyed  boy;  and   thus   she  solilo- 
quized :  "  Oh !  my  child,  my  child,  my  only  child, 
my  lovely  boy ;  thou  art  a  part  of  ray  own  exis- 
tence.    It  was  like  severing  my   heart  strings  to 
give  thee  up ;  and  when  I  saw  the  tear  drop  in 
thine  eye,  as  I   tore  thy  little  arms  from  around 
my  neck,  and  cast  thee  into  the  Ganges,  I  would 
have  gladly   died   for  thee :  since  then  slumber's 
chains  have  not  bound  me ;  but  I  reach  out  and 
seek  in  vain  for  thee.     My  only  child,  thou  art  ever 
present  with  me.     Oh,  how  can  I  give  thee  up." 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BE  RELIED  ON,  ETC.    291 


"  Sad  heart  cease  repining,  mourning  should  be 
turned  to  joy.  It  is  the  only  road  to  bliss.  My 
child  and  I  will  both  be  saved,  will  both  be  blessed, 
by  this  gift  to  our  God."  And  did  she  love  her 
child  ?  Yes,  her  love  was  next  to  that  she  bore 
her  God.  It  is  sweet  to  hear  the  voice  of  loved 
ones,  as  we  draw  near  home;  a  sister's  love  is  sweet, 
a  father's  love  cannot  be  fathomed,  a  bride's  first 
love  is  sweet  and  deep,  but  sweeter  and  deeper, 
than  this,  than  these,  than  all,  is  a  mother's  love 
for  her  first  born,  her  only  child ;  like  Adam's  rec- 
ollection of  his  fall,  it  stands  first  and  foremost  in 
the  human  heart. 

These  mothers  rejoice  that  they  have  with  ap- 
proving feelings  each  served  her  God.  Their 
feelings  have  impressed  them  that  the  sacrifice  has 
been  accepted  by  their  God  ;  and  their  convictions 
are  plain  and  strong. 

Tell  either  mother  that  her  feelings  are  decep- 
tive and  that  the  approving  impressions  upon  her 
heart  were  not  made  by  God,  and  they  will  treat 
you  as  an  enemy  who  would  rob  them  of  their 
fondest  hope.  Do  they  not  know  their  own  feel- 
ings ?  When  God  has  spoken  in  a  still  low  voice 
to  the  heart,  how  can  they  be  mistaken  ? 


292 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


The  Cashmere  mother  returning  from  the  Gan- 
ges is  undoubtedly  as  strongly  impressed  by  her 
feelings  that  she  has  served  God  acceptably,  and 
the  still  low  voice  of  approbation,  has  spoken 
peace  to  her  soul  as  distinctly  as  was  ever  spoken 
to  Hebrew  mother,  and  never  to  either,  did  feel- 
ings approve  more  strongly,  nor  were  impressions 
of  approbation  more  vivid  than  had  Saul  when 
imprisoning  the  followers  of  Christ. 

If  our  feelings  and  our  judgments  were  always 
correct,  then  each  of  the  thousand  churches  would 
be  the  church  of  God  ;  and  although  acting  in  con- 
flict one  with  another,  yet  the  same  spirit  blesses 
each  with  abundant  outpourings  and  glorious  re- 
vivals.    This  cannot  be.     Yet  they  have  the  same 
Bible,  but   are  governed  not  by  the  Bible  alone, 
but  by  men's  opinions  of  what  it  teaches,  and  our 
most  learned  men  will  have  opinions  diftering  on 
the  plainest  questions.     We  have  three  volumes  of 
overruled  decisions  of  California's  Supreme  Court, 
one   Supreme   Court   deciding  that  the   decisions 
made   by  a  former  Supreme  Court    were  wrong. 
The  law  is  plain  yet  men  differ  in  opinions  about  it. 
Wlien  Peter  said  "  Thou  art  the  Christ  the  Son  of 
God,"  Jesus  replied,    I'll  build  my  church  on  this 


CAN  OUR  FEELINGS  BE  RELIED  ON,  ETC. 


293 


confession.  It  was  the  only  question  asked  by  an 
apostle.  "  If  you  believe  with  all  your  heart  you 
may."  '•  If  ye  love  me  keep  my  commandments." 
Not  the  professor  or  the  zealous,  but  the  obedient, 
will  be  saved. 


CHAPTER  XVIL 


PRAYER. 


PRAYER  is   a  petition  tor  favors;  gratitude, 
expressed  for  blessings  bestowed.     All   men 
feel  their  dependence  upon  some  superior  being,  and 
it  is  but  natural  to  supplicate  that  power  for  bene- 
fits,  and  for  mercy.     To  the  Christian  it  is  an  in- 
estimable blessing,  that  he  is  invited  to  come  to 
his  heavenly  Father  with  as  much  confidence  as  a 
child  comes  to  an   earthly   parent.      Mat.  vii:  7. 
"Ask  and  it  shall  be  given  you,  seek  and  ye  shall 
find,  knock  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you ;  for 
every  one  that  asketh  receiveth,  and  he  that  seek- 
eth  findeth,  and  to  him  that  knocketh  it  shall  be 
opened.     Or  what  man  is  there  of  you  whom  if  his 
son  ask  bread,  will  he  give  him  a  stone?  or  if  he  ask 
a  fish,  will  he  give  him  a  serpent  ?    If  ye  then,  be- 
ing  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  gifts  unto  your 
children,  how  much  more  shall  your  Father  which 
is  in  heaven,  give  good  things  to  them  that  ask 
him."     It  is  the  secret  prayer,  where  the  closet  is 
entered  and  the  world  is  shut  out,  that  moves  the 
(294) 


PRAYER. 


295 


arm  that  moves  the  universe,  it  is  there  we  breathe 
the  spirit  of  prayer  to  the  Father  of  mercies  and 
the  God  of  love.     After  years  of  associating  and 
communing    with  God,  we    imperceptibly    grow 
more  like  our  Creator;  as  looking  into  a  camera, 
the  image  is  imprinted  on  the  tablets  of  the  heart ; 
and  the  spiritual  man  requires  that  nourishment  as 
the  branch  requires  the  sap  from  the  parent  stock; 
and  God's  children  by  prayer,  are  twice  blessed, 
they  obtain  the  blessings  and  are  made  better.    For 
man  is  but  a  bundle  of  habits,  and  children  when 
young  are  like  twigs,  by  bending  you  can  have 
them  grow  which  way  you  want  them.    When  the 
family  altar  is  erected  and  children  while  young 
are  taught  to  pray,  they  are   apt  to  continue  it 
through  life.     What  a  sad  word  it  will  be  when  at 
the  final  judgment,  the  father  and  child  are  in 
outer  darkness,  to  hear  the  child  say  :  "  Father,  you 
brought  me  here,  you  never  taught  me  to  pray, 
you  never  led  me  to  the  foot  of  the  cross,  to  the 
Lamb  of  God  that  taketh  away  the  sins   of  the 
world.     Now  it  is  too  late,  I  am  lost,  forever  lost." 
Efficacy  of  prayer.    I  have  no  controversy  with 
the  man  who  disbelieves  the  Bible ;  but  I  cannot 
see  how  a  Christian  can  deny  the  efficacy  of  prayer. 


296 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


I  am  unable  to  comprehend  how  any  believer  can 
question  the  efficacy  of  prayer  after  reading  James 
v:  15,  16,  "  The  prayer  of  faith  shall  save  the  sick 
and  the  Lord  shall  raise  him  up,  and  if  he  have 
committed  sins,  they  shall  be  forgiven  him.     Con- 
fess your  faults  one  to  another  and  pray  one  for 
another  that  ye  may  be  healed.      The  eftectual, 
fervent  prayer  of  a  righteous  man  availeth  much. 
Elias  was  a  man  subject  to  like  passions  as  we  are, 
and  he  prayed  earnestly  that  it  might  not  rain, 
and  it  rained  not  on  the  earth  for  the  space  of 
three  years  and  six  months;  and  ho  prayed  again 
and  the  heavens  gave  rain,  and  the  earth  brought 
forth  her  fruit."      Again,    2  Kings  xx:       Isaiah 
said  to  king  Ilezekiah,  who  was  sick :  "  Thus  saith 
the  Lord,  set  thy  house  in  order  for  thou  shalt  die 
and  not  live.    The  king  turned  his  face  to  the  wall 
and  prayed  and  wept  sore;  before  Isaiah  was  gone 
out  into  the  middle  court,  the  word  of  the  Lord  came 
to  him  saying,  turn  again  and  tell  Hezekiah,  I  have 
heard  thy  prayer,  I  have  seen  thy  tears,  behold  I 
will  heal  thee,  and  will  add  fifteen  years  to  thy 
life."     But  I  am  answered,  ''  God  formerly  answer- 
ed prayer  but  not  now,  those  days  were  only  to 
last  until  the  church  was  established."     Where  did 


PRAYER. 


297 


you  learn  that  ?  The  fifth  chapter  of  James  was 
written  more  than  twenty-five  years  after  the 
church  was  established.  "  Is  the  Lord's  hand  short- 
ened at  all  that  he  cannot  redeem,  or  has  he  no 
power  to  deliver?  At  his  rebuke,  the  sea  is  dried 
up  and  he  maketh  the  rivers  a  wilderness." 

You  say  that  you  have  prayed  earnestly  and  that 
your    prayer    was    not    answered.     Quite  likely. 
Moses  who  was  in  some  respects  a  type  of  Christ, 
prayed  fervently:     ''Let  me  go  over  and  see  that 
good  land  which  is  beyond  Jordan,  that  goodly 
mountain,  Lebanon,"  but  the  Lord  did  not  grant 
his   request.      God's  j>romises  have   always  been 
based  on  certain  conditions  that  must  be  complied 
with  before  the  blessing  is  granted.     Suppose  you 
should   pray   for  bread  and    sit    still,   would     it 
come?     Suppose  a  sinner  should  pray  for  pardon, 
and  not  obey,  would  he  be  pardoned?     A  prayer 
was  never  uttered  in  compliance  with  God's  word 
but  that  it  was  answered. 

God  requires ;  1.  The  person  praying,  must  be 
righteous,  and  obedience  is  presupposed.  2.  The 
prayer  must  be  made  in  faith.  3.  We  must  first 
forgive  our  enemies.  One  says,  "  I  am  not  required 
to  forgive  a  man  who  has  injured  me,  until  he  has 


298 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


rectified  the  wrong;"  another  says,  "  I  forgive,  but 
I  do  not  forget."     You  must  forgive  as  the  Lord 
has  forgiven  you ;  did  he  wait  until  you  had  made 
restitution  ?    He  was  put  to  death  tor  man,  while 
he  was  in  rebellion.     God  says  to  his  children,  ''I 
will  never  remember  your  sins  any  more."     4.     We 
must  pray  for  something  God  has  promised.     A 
sinner  might  pray  for  pardon,  but  God  has  only 
promised  pardon  on  condition  of  obedience.    How 
common  for  persons  to  pray  for  light,  for  know- 
ledge of  God's  word,  while  a  knowledge  of  it  is 
only  obtained  by  study.     Paul  did  not  tell  Timothy 
to  pray  for  a  knowledge  of  God's  word,  but  he 
told  him  to  study.     It  is  proper  to  pray  for  wis- 
dom to  direct  our  knowledge,  but  not  for  know^- 
ledge.     God  has  not  promised  to  do  for  us  that 
which  we  can  do  for  ourselves.     God  has  given  us 
his  word,  and  has  made  the  scheme  of  redemption 
therein  plain.     Do  we  pray  to  abandon   us  not  to 
temptation,  then  we  must  try  to  avoid  temptation. 
Do  we  pray  for  the  })Oor,  then  we  must  remember 
that   we   are   God's   instruments   and   should  use 
charity. 

5.    Prayer  keeps    fresh    in   our  minds,   God's 
agency,  and  man's  dependence  for  every  blessing. 


I 


PRAYER. 


299 


In  prayer,  God's  children  see  his  love  through  rifts 
in  the  sky.  Sometimes  prayer  is  not  answered  in 
our  own  way.  Paul  prayed  that  he  might  go  to 
Rome  ;  he  went,  but  as  a  prisoner.  It  is  alone  by 
suffering  that  we  see  God's  love  through  rifts  in 
the  clouds. 

We  must  go  up  to  the  promised  land  through 
tribulation.  Prayer  is  the  soul's  irrigation  ditch. 
Gold  must  be  beaten  before  it  is  fit  for  the  king's 
image.  If  there  is  no  efl:icacy  in  prayer,  why  did 
Paul  request  the  church  at  Ephesus  to  pray  for 
him  ?  That  a  righteous  man's  prayer  is  a  power 
that  moves  God  in  the  administration  of  the  uni- 
verse, may  be  seen* in  Joshua  x:  12,  13:  "Then 
spake  Joshua  to  the  Lord,  in  the  day  when  the 
Lord  delivered  up  the  Amorites  before  the  children 
of  Israel,  and  he  said,  in  the  sight  of  Israel:  Sun, 
stand  thou  still  upon  Gibeon  ;  and  thou  moon  in 
the  valley  of  Ajalon;  and  the  sun  stood  still  and 
the  moon  stayed."  And  that  God  even  hears  the 
crying  of  a  babe,  we  are  informed  in  Gen.  xxi:  17. 

6.  Our  posture  in  prayer.  It  shows  a  want  of 
proper  respect  for  God,  to  sit  upright,  while  pray- 
ing. I  agree  not  with  some  persons  who  think 
that  prayer  will  not  be   answered  unless    oftered 


300 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


while  kneeling.  We  have  examples  of  Ahraham 
standing:  Gen.  xvi:  24,  and  jSTehemiah  ix:  20, 
Zach.  iii:  1,  Luke  xviii:  11,  Kev.  xi:  4,  Kings  viii: 
54,  Mark  xi:  25.  And  these  same  sticklers  stand 
when  they  return  thanks  for  the  loaf.  O  consis- 
tency, thou  art  a  jewel.  Yet  kneeling  is  the  most 
humble   posture,  and  is  referred  to  oftener  than 

any  other. 

When  in  the  family  prayer,  or  in  secret,  we 
usually  kneel,  yet,  in  a  public  assembly,  standing  is 
frequently  more  preferable,  as  it  is  not  convenient, 
from  the  abundance  of  filth  and  a  want  of  room  to 
kneel;  and  if  standing,  prayer  is  more  uniformly 
observed.  And  as  standing  in  prayer  has  been 
sanctioned  by  God,  I  see  no  impropriety  in  adopt- 
ing it  in  public  worship.  And  should  I  esteem 
myself  better  and  wiser  than  others  and  insist  on 
others  kneeling  and  coming  to  my  standard,  and 
be  continually  riding  this  or  any  other  hobby,  I 
would  expect  the  world  to  say,  ''He  is  a  crank. 
I  wonder  what  kind  of  meat  this  great  Csesar 
has  been  feeding  on." 

Get  the  heart  right,  and  the  position  or  posture 
will  be  right,  if  standing  on  your  head. 

Eom.  xiv:  4.  "  God  is  able  to  make  him  stand." 
I  think  that  this  conveys  an  idea  of  a  special  provi- 
dence in  the  affairs  of  men. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


TRINITY. 


Eph.  iv:  4,  5,  6.  "  There  is  one  body  and  one  spirit,  even  as 
ye  are  called  in  one  hope  of  your  calling.  One  Lord,  one 
faith,  one  baptism,  one  God  and  Father  of  all,  who  is  above  all, 
and  through  all,  and  in  you  all." 

FAMILY  quarrels  are  usually  the  most  bitter. 
This  question  has  been  the  source  of  a  long 
and  bloody  war  among  the  church  members,  leav- 
ing a  stain  of  the  deepest  dye  on  religion's  fair 
escutcheon  that  had  until  then  amid  darkest  hours 
of  persecution  retained  its  unsullied  shield  of  vir- 
gin purity. 

Go  back  with  me  to  1553,  to  the  city  of  Geneva; 
at  that  time  it  was  the  theological  eye  of  the 
world.  Stop ;  there  comes  a  man  who  is  a  man, 
he  looks  like  the  son  of  a  king;  what  means 
this?  he  is  bound  with  a  cham ;  with  a  slow  and 
steady  step  he  marches  to  the  stake,  while  the 
crowd  is  hooting  at  his  back.  His  high  and  ex- 
pansive forehead,  his  deep  and  expressive  eyes, 
fit  windows   to  a  mind  whose    grasp  for  highly 

cultured  intellect  we  but  seldom  see  equaled,  much 

(301) 


302 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


less  surpassed.  As  he  stands  bound  to  the  stake 
surrounded  by  the  fagots,  he  looks  like  no  ordinary 
man.  Who  is  he  ?  It  is  Doctor  M.  Servetus,  who 
published  a  work  against  the  doctrine  of  the  trin- 
ity, and  is  condemned  to  the  flames  for  his  here- 
sy. He  possessed  a  reservoir  of  knowledge  and 
was  a  ready  writer.  But  w^e  have  no  time  to  lin- 
ger, the  torch  has  ignited  the  fagots,  the  flames  are 
consuming  the  flesh  from  his  bones;  his  body  is 
burned  asunder  by  the  devouring  flames;  as  his 
body  falls,  and  the  inner  man  takes  its  flight  to 
the  mansions  made  without  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens,  with  upturned  eye,  hear  him  exclaim 
''  Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what  they 
do."  Thus  expired  one  of  the  ripest  scholars  of 
that  age,  his  life  atoned  for  his  having  written  a 
book  adverse  to  trinitarianism  that  they  were  in 
any  other  way  unable  to  answer.  I  give  not  this 
as  an  only  instance  of  this  kind,  but  only  as  a 
specimen  of  one  among  many. 

The  war  between  Unitarians  and  Trinitarians  is 
still  raging,  but  thanks  to  the  light  of  the  nine- 
teenth century,  and  to  our  free  institutions,  it  is 
only  a  war  of  words.  I  presume  in  this,  like  most 
of  the  religious  questions  of  the  day,  the  truth  may 


TRINITY. 


303 


be  found  between  the  extremes.  That  branch  of 
the  Unitarians  that  teach  that  our  Lord  and  Sa- 
vior did  not  exist  prior  to  1891  years  ago,  and  that 
he  is  not  divine,  but  was  only  a  good  man,  that 
doctrine  is  a  parasite  nestled  in  the  recesses  of  the 
heart  of  the  church,  gnawing  upon  its  vitals :  for 
the  divinity  of  Jesus  is  the  foundation  pillar  upon 
which  rests  our  holy  religion.  Ifot  the  blood  of 
all  the  animals  ever  ofltered  upon  Jewish  altars,  nor 
a  vast  ocean  of  human  blood  could  atone  for  the 
smallest  sin.  It  required  divine  blood;  and  that  Je- 
sus w^as  divine  crops  out  all  along  his  earthly  pil- 
grimage. He  was  all  that  was  human  of  his  moth- 
er, and  all  that  was  divine  of  his  Father.  With 
one  hand  he  reached  to  the  lowest  condition  of  our 
race  and  with  the  other,  reached  to  the  highest 
majesty  in  the  heavens ;  with  human  feet  he 
walked  upon  the  stormy  Galilee,  and  as  a  God  he 
bade  her  turbulent  waters  be  still.  The  tears  of  a 
man  fell  at  Lazarus's  grave,  and  with  the  voice  of 
a  God  he  bade  him  come  forth.  That  the  script- 
ures teach  that  our  heavenly  Father  and  our  Lord 
and  Savior  are  one  in  some  sense  may  be  seen  by 
the  tyro  in  theology.  John  x :  30  :  ''  I  and  my 
Father  are  one."     John  xii:  45 :  "  He  that  seeth  me, 


304 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


seeth  him  that  sent  me."  John  xiv :  9 :  "He  that 
hath  seen  me,  hath  seen  the  Father."  These  are 
expressions  of  our  Lord :  and  on  the  other  hand 
he  says,  John  v:  19.  "  The  Son  can  do  nothing 
of  himself,  but  what  he  seeth  the  Father  do." 
John  xiv  :  28  :  "  I  go  unto  my  Father :  for  my 
Father  is  greater  than  I."  John  xvii :  18 :  "  As 
thou  hast  sent  me  into  the  world,  even  so  have  I 
also  sent  them  into  the  world."  And  we  know 
too  that  there  is  some  kind  of  a  distinction  kept 
up  from  the  beginning  to  the  close  of  the  Bible. 
Gen.  i:  26:  ''And  God  said,  let  us  make  man." 
The  first  chapter  of  Genesis  inckiding  the  first 
three  verses  of  the  second  chapter  has  the  word 
God  thirty-three  times,  while  the  word  Lord  is 
not  found  once.  The  second  and  third  chapters 
have  the  words  Lord  God  twenty  times  but  never 
word  God  or  the  word  Lord  alone.  The  fourth 
chapter  contains  not  once  the  word  God  nor  Lord 
God,  but  uses  the  word  Lord  ten  times.  The  word 
God  signifies  creator.  The  word  Lord  God  signi- 
fies provider  and  creator;  the  word  Lord  signi- 
fies provider.  God  created,  man  fell,  the  Lord  pro- 
vided for  man's  recovery. 

Was  it  possible  for  the  founder  of  Trinitarian- 


TRINITY. 


305 


ism  for  a  moment  to  believe  that  the  Son  who  was 
sent  and  the  Father  who  sent  him  w^ere  the  same 
in  every  respect.  Can  any  sane  man  believe  that 
when  the  Son  died  that  the  Father  died  also  and 
laid  three  days  in  the  tomb  without  any  hand  at 
the  helm  of  the  universe  ? 

The  word  trinity  is  not  found  in  the  Bible,  it  is 

of  modern  invention  and  founded  on  1st  John  v : 

7 :  ''There  are  three  that  bear  record  in  heaven, 

the  Father,  the   word  and  the  Holy  Ghost  and 

these  three  are  one."    Bear  record  of  what?  by 

examining  the  fifth  verse  you  will  see  that  they 

bear  record  that  "  Jesiis  is  the  Son  of  God."     On 

the  glorious  Mount  of  transfiguration,  the  Father 

bore  testimony  when  he  said  "  This  is  my  beloved 

Son,  hear  ye  him."     The  Spirit  bore  witness  when 

Jesus  ascended  from  his  baptismal  grave,  and  in 

the  descent  of  the  Holy  Ghost  on  Pentecost.    And 

the  Son  made  the  good  confession  before  Pilate, 

and  the  Holy  Ghost  bore  testimony  to  the  miracles 

performed  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.     To  say 

that  these  three  are  one  in  substance,  you  might  as 

well  say,  and  with  as  much  propriety  that  Paul 

and  Apollos  were  one   in  substance.     First    Cor. 

iii:  8,  "  He  that  planteth  and  he  that  watereth  are 
20 


306 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


99 


one."  The  Trinity  is  explained,  we  think  in 
John  xvii :  21,  22.  Here  our  Lord  prays  to  his 
Father  that  those  who  shall  believe  on  him,  "  that 
that  they  may  be  one,  as  tliou,  Father,  art  in  me,  and 
I  in  thee,  that  they  may  also  be  one  in  us,  that  the 
world  may  believe  that  thou  hast  sent  me.  And 
the  glory  which  thou  hast  given  me  I  have  given 
them ;  that  they  may  be  one  even  as  we  are  one." 
Not  one  in  substance,  but  one  in  object,  to  accom- 
plish the  salvation  of  the  human  family.  1st  John 
V  :  8  :  "  Agree  in  one."  John  xviii :  11 :  ''  The 
cup  my  Father  hath  given  me." 

God,  when  he  created  man,  endowed  him  with 
reason.  "  Revealed  things  are  for  man ;  unreveal- 
ed  things  are  for  God."  Many  things  are  above 
our  reasoning  powers,  but  there  is  nothing,  I  pre- 
sume, that  comes  in  conflict  with  them,  for  all  of 
God's  works  move  in  harmony.  To  say  that  three 
separate  and  distinct  bodies  are  three  bodies  and 
at  the  same  time  only  one  body,  to  say  that  three 
persons  in  substance  and  only  one  in  substance,  is  in 
no  place  taught  in  the  Bible,  nor  is  there  anything 
like  it  taught  there.  It  is  not  so  much  above  as  it 
is  in  conflict  with  human  sense,  and  has  been  hand- 
ed down  from  her  whose  name  is  mystery.    If  the 


».-if-.  .  ■ 


TRINITY. 


307 


Bible  taught  it,  I  would  embrace  it,  but  as  man  is 
its  author,  and  its  origin  in  the  dark  ages,  when 
men  were  coining  ideas  for  the  church,  as  well  as 
words;  we  are  not  under  obligation  to  receive 
wordff  or  ideas  that  are  not  found  in  the  Bible. 

That  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit 
are  three,  and  the  only  three  divine  beings  I  admit, 
and  that  these  three  divine  beings,  are  three,  and 
not  one  in  substance.  If  the  Son  and  the  Father 
are  the  same,  why  did  the  Son  cry  out  from  the 


a 


cross,  "  My  God,  my  God,  why  hast  thou  forsaken 
me?"  John  viii:  58,  *^  Before  Abraham  was,  I 
am."  Col.  i:  15,  Paul  speaking  of  Christ,  says: 
"Who  is  the  image  of  the  invisible  God,  the  first- 
born of  every  creature."  John  i:  14,  "  The  only 
begotten  of  the  Father."  John  i:  7,  "In  the  be- 
ginning was  the  word,  and  the  word  was  with 
God,  and  the  word  was  God."  Three  divine 
beings.  God  created.  The  Spirit  moved  upon  the 
face  of  the  waters.  The  Lord  provided.  These 
three  were  one  in  object,  and  a  council  was  formed 
and  man  was  made,  and  God  breathed  into  him 
the  breath  of  lives,  and  man  was  composed  of  body, 
soul,  and  spirit.  God  created,  i.  e.  brought  into 
existence  all  things.    He  created  from  nothing  the 


308 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


material,  then  from  this  material  or  out  of  it,  all 
things  were  made  or  formed,  and  the  word  was 
with  God  when  all  things  were  made,  and  nothing 
was  made  without  him. 

1  Cor.  viii:  6,  "  To  us  there  is  but  one  God,  the 
Father,  of  whom  are  all  things  and  we  in  him  and 
one  Lord  Jesus  Christ  by  whom  are  all  things  and 
we  by  him."  This  teaches  that  God  caused  all 
things  to  be  created,  and  caused  all  things  to  be 
made  by  the  Son,  the  first  begotten,  who  existed 
from  all  eternity,  before  a  world  was  created,  or 
an  angel  made.  John  xvii:  5,  "  0  Father  glorify 
thou  me,  with  thine  own  self  with  the  glory  which 
I  had  with  thee  before  the  world  was."  John  i: 
18,  "  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any  time,  the  only 
begotten  Son  who  is  in  the  bosom  of  the  Father, 
he  hath  declared  him."  Jesus  is  the  first  and  the 
last  in  the  scheme  of  redemption.  There  will  be 
no  last  in  creation,  as  the  saints  will  never  die. 
Ileb.  X.  7,  "  A  body  hast  thou  prepared  me,  then 
said  I,  lo,  I  come  to  do  thy  w^ill,  oh  God."  John 
vi:  38,  ''I  came  down  from  heaven,  not  to  do  mine 
own  will  but  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me."  And 
Rom.  xv:  6.  See  God  made  a  body  for  the  Son, 
and  sent  the  Son  to  dwell  in  it;  God  was  thus  ex- 


TRINITY. 


309 


hibited  to  man  in  his  Son,  and  that  wonderful  love 
displayed  in  dying  to  redeem  man,  was  the  great- 
est inducement  that  could  be  offered  to  win  man's 
love,  and  bring  him  from  eternal  death,  to  unend- 
ing life,  with  all  the  redeemed  spirits  that  burn 
around  the  throne  of  the  Majesty  in  the  heavens. 
2  Cor.  iii:  18,  ''But  we  all  with  open  face  beholding 
as  in  a  glass,  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed 
into  the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory  even  as  by 
the  spirit  of  the  Lord."  If  you  look  into  a  glass 
while  a  person  is  standing  in  front  of  it,  you  can 
recognize  the  person,  without  ever  seeing  him, 
thus  we  recognize  God  in  Christ.  We  cannot  see 
the  spirit  bodies  with  physical  eyes,  therefore  that 
God  might  be  seen  and  be  brought  nearer  to  us,  it 
became  necessary  for  the  Lord  to  assume  a  physical 
body. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 


RECONCILIATION. 

GHRIST  died  to  reconcile  man  to  God,  so 
taught  the  great  apostle  to  the  Gentiles;  but 
the  Christian  world  at  present  paraphrases  it, 
Christ  died  to  reconcile  God.  to  man  The 
apostle  labored  with  man  to  induce  him  to  be- 
come reconciled  to  God;  men  now  plead  with  God 
to  induce  him  to  become  reconciled  to  man ;  and 
what  is  the  difierence,  the  horse  and  the  cart 
are  both  there,  what  matters  it  if  the  cart  is  before 
the  horse  ? 

That  God  is  now  ready  and  willing  to  receive 

man  if  he  will  return  to  his  Fathers  house,  the 

scriptures  everywhere  teach.     The  prophet,  Zeph- 

aniah,  represents  the  Lord  God  singing  with  joy, 

at  the  dawn  of  the  gospel  dispensation,  and  the 

wanderers  returning  home ;  and  we  are  told  that 

there   is  joy  in  heaven   over  a  converted  sinner. 

And  of  the  twenty-nine  parables  bequeathed  to  the 

human  family  by  our  adorable  Lord,  there  is  not 

one    prettier    than    that    recorded    by  Luke,  in 
(310) 


RECONCILIATION. 


311 


which  the  prodigal  son  is  used  as  an  emblem  to 
show  God's  transcendent   love,  and  readiness  to 
embrace  the  returning  prodigal.     But  the  devil  has 
counterfeited  it,  as  he  has  every  other  good  thing 
used  for  man's  redemption,  and  has  unblushingly 
put  God's  name  to  the  forgery.     Listen  to  the  les- 
son now  taught  by  this  beautiful  parable,  as   it  is 
now  paraphrased.     "A  certain  man  had  two  sons, 
and  the  younger  of  them  said  to  his  father.  Father, 
give  me  the  portion  of  goods  that  falleth  to  me. 
And  he  divided  unto  them  his  living.     And  not 
many  days  after,   the  younger  son   gathered  all 
together  and  took  his  journey  into  a  far  country, 
and  there  wasted  his  substance  with  riotous  living. 
And  when  he  had  spent  all,  there  arose  a  mighty 
famine  in  the  land,  and  he  began  to  be  in  want. 
And  he  went  and  joined  himself  to  a  citizen  of  that 
country,  and  he  sent   him  into  his  field   to   feed 
swine;    and  he  would  fain  have  filled  his  belly 
with  the  husks  the  swine  did  eat,  and  no  man  gave 
unto  him.     And  when  he  came  to  himself,  he  said : 
How   many  hired   servants   of  my  father's  have 
bread  enough  and  to  spare,  and  I  perish  with  hun- 
ger.    I  will  arise  and  go  unto  my  father  and  will 
say    unto   him.   Father,  I    have    sinned    against 


312 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


heaven  and  before  thee,  and  am  no  more  worthy 
to  be  called  thy  son.  Make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired 
servants.  And  he  arose  and  came  to  his  father. 
But  when  he  was  yet  a  great  way  off  his 
father  saw  him,  but  without  much  compassion. 
He  told  the  elder  brother  to  bar  the  door.  The 
younger  son  plead  in  vain  to  be  admitted,  his  elder 
brother  said,  '  Plead  on,  my  brother,  and  take  no 
denial,  our  father  will  after  a  while  relent  and 
speak  peace  to  your  soul.'  But  the  door  remained 
barred,  and  the  boy  was  left  in  the  cold  for  six 
months." 

The  Bible  repi'esents  man  as  having  gone  from 
home,  drifted  off  from  the  haven  of  rest,  and  God 
inviting  him  by  priests,  prophets  and  the  teachers 
to  return,  but  they  were  stoned  and  put  to  death. 
At  last  he  sent  his  only  Son,  that  by  such  a  display 
of  love  man  might  be  won  back,  and  they  crucified 
the  Son.  And  now  God's  agents  are  standing 
on  the  wall,  and  God  is  crying  by  them,**Come 
to  me  all  ye  that  are  weary  and  heavy  laden  and 
I  will  give  you  rest.  IS'ow  is  the  day  of  salvation." 
Hear  him  beseech  and  cry,  "Oh!  why  will  you 
resolve  to  die."  All  heaven  will  rejoice  to  see  the 
sinner  return  home. 


RECONCILIATION. 


313 


According  to  the  scriptures,  when  men  obeyed  the 
gospel  they  were  then  and  there  set  free,  and  like 
the  eunuch,  went  on  their  way  rejoicing.  Christ 
did  not  die  in  vain,  but  what  was  intended  to 
be  accomplished  by  his  death  will  be  accom- 
plished ;  and  as  he  died  to  reconcile  man  to  God, 
man  will  become  reconciled,  and  they  will  come 
from  the  North  and  the  South,  from  the  West  and 
the  East.  A  multitude  that  no  man  can  number 
will  sit  down  with  Abraham,  Isaac,  and  Jacob  and 
praise  the  Lord  until  eternity  becomes  grayheaded- 
Man  has  left  God,  and  gone  into  sin  and  united 
with  the  devil's  family.  God  could  not  go  into 
the  land  of  sin  and  force  him  back,  but  he  calls  on 
men  to  volunteer  to  go  and  pursuade  the  human 
family  to  return  and  live  forever;  to  present  the 
dying  love  of  Jesus,  and  as  love  begets  love,  if  this 
display  of  God's  love  will  not  win  him  back,  no 
greater  inducement  can  be  offered. 

Oh,  come,  then,  sinner,  and  unite  with  the  blood- 
washed  throng,  and  go  to  a  land  where  there  will 
be  no  more  pain,  sickness,  or  sorrow,  and  even 
death  itself  can  never  enter.  All  things  are  ready ; 
why  will  you  reject  everlasting  life  and  accept  of 
eternal  death?    Let  the  dying  love  of  Jesus  call  you 


314 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


back  to  your  Father's  house.  You  have  no  lease 
on  your  life.  This  may  be  your  last  day  of  grace. 
A  few   years    ago  I    preached  monthly  for    the 

church  at  M .     One  of  the  most  intelligent  of 

the  women  told  me  at  the  close  of  the  discourse, 
"  I  will  not  make  a  confession  now,  but  will  when 
you  come  again  next  month."  When  I  returned 
she  was  in  a  dying  condition,  and  was  buried 
during  the  meeting.  The  present  is  all  the  time 
that  is  ours,  sin  consists  in  deferring  duty. 


CHAPTER  XX. 


SOLOMON  AND  PAUL  CONTRASTED. 

AT  the  age  of  nineteen,  Solomon  was  crowned 
king,  and  for  eleven  years  he  reigned  with 
wisdom  and  prudence.  When  thirty  years  of  age, 
the  great  object  of  his  life  had  been  accomplished, 
he  had  finished  and  dedicated  the  temple,  the  finest 
building  the  world  had  ever  seen,  where  scarce  any- 
thing appeared  less  valuable  than  silver  and  gold. 
It  was  faultless  in  form,  for  God  was  its  architect. 
At  its  dedication,  the  glory  of  the  great  1  AM,  or  a 
body  of  light  brighter  than  the  noonday  sun,  de- 
scended from  heaven  and  filled  the  building. 

He  was  not  only  the  wisest,  but  also  one  of  the 
wealthiest  of  men;  his  annual  income  in  gold 
alone,  w^as  fifteen  million  of  dollars,  in  our  money ; 
and  it  is  said  that  he  made  silver  as  common  as 
the  pebbles  in  Kedron.  And  then  too,  one  dollar 
then  was  equal  to  more  than  two  now.  All  the 
money  that  has  been  paid  to  the  presidents  of  the 
United  States,  for  the  present  century,  would  not 

equal  his  annual  supply. 

(315) 


316 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


His  wisdom  is  seen  in  his  beautiful  books  that 
have  descended  to  us ;  they  are  scarcely  equaled  in 
grandeur  of  imagery  or  beauty  of  language  and 
style.  He  perched  upon  the  summit  of  fame's 
loftiest  peak.  Kings,  to  do  him  honor  took  de- 
light. He  heard  every  trump  of  fame,  drank  every 
cup  of  joy,  and  yet  he  failed  to  find  happiness  in 
all  that  wealth  could  command  or  wisdom  bestow. 
Yes,  in  him  the  lesson  is  taught,  that  wealth, 
women,  and  wisdom,  will  not  lead  to  happiness. 

Solomon's  sin  was  self-reliance,  and  as  the 
Apostle  Paul  said  to  the  Corinthians,  *'Let  the 
self-reliant  man  take  heed,  lest  he  fall."  When 
Solomon  had  taken  a  queen  of  the  Zidonians,  he 
built  for  her  a  high  place  for  the  Zidonian  god, 
Ashtaroth,  i.  e.  the  star  Venus,  and  that  star  was 
worshiped  by  the  Jews  for  more  than  three  hun- 
dred years.  Relying  alone  on  self  he  takes  other 
queens  from  other  nations,  and  deeper,  and  deeper 
still  he  sinks,  and  builds  a  high  place  for  Chemosh, 
the  god  of  the  Moabites;and  he  had  a  place 
erected  to  worship  Milcom,  the  god  of  the  Amor- 
ites,  to  please  the  queens  that  he  had  brought  from 
these  nations.  But  like  others  before  him,  he 
found  that  "  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is  hard." 


SOLOMON   AND    PAUL   CONTRASTED. 


317 


A  few  years  before  his  death,  Solomon  ccmies  to 
himself,  repents,  and  writes  Ecclesiastes.  He  has 
learned,  and  now  low  down  in  humility's  vale,  he 
confesses  "  all  is  vanity,"  but  "  to  fear  God  and 
keep  his  commandments,  for  this  is  the  whole  duty 
of  man." 

The  inner  man  feels  its  own  weakness  and  its 
insufliciency ;  as  we  are  taught  by  the  scriptures, 
"  none  are  perfect,  no  not  one."  Sin  lurks  in  the 
best  of  men.  Moses,  the  humble  follower  of  God  ; 
Job,  the  type  of  patience,  became  impatient  and 
said:  "Let  the  day  perish  wherein  I  was  born." 
And  Abraham,  the  faithful,  wanted  faith  in  God. 
And  Isaac  committed  the  very  sin  that  his  father 
had  committed.  Gen.  xxvi:  7.  Elijah,  one  of  the 
greatest  of  the  prophets,  sinned.  Kings  xix:  4. 
Noah  sinned  after  his  display  of  faith  in  building 
the  ark.  Men  failed  in  the  traits  of  character  for 
which  they  were  most  noted.  When  depending 
on  Christ  we  are  a  tower  of  strength,  but  when  we 
depend  on  self  we  are  as  weak  as  a  reed,  and  as 
changeable  as  the  shifting  sands  of  the  sea. 

When  God  leaves  us,  the  smallest  temptation 
will  lead  us  astray,  and  then  we  would  hide  the 
sin  from  God.     Not  that  the  self-styled  good  are 


318 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


worse  than  others,  on  the  contrary  they  are  fre- 
quently our  most  moral  and  religious  people,  and 
are  self-deceived.  A  man  may  be  guilty  of  gross 
sins  without  being  aware  of  it.  A  circumstance 
was  related  to  me,  and  whether  it  occurred  or  not, 
it  illustrates  the  point :  ''A  preacher  had  one  mem- 
ber who  was  addicted  to  lying,  it  was  a  perfect 
mania  with  him;  it  seemed  to  be  a  constitutional 
disease  of  which  he  was  unconcious.  The  minis- 
ter frequently  preached  on  lying,  but  it  produced 
no  reformation.  One  rainy  day  he  was  the  only 
person  present;  the  preacher  thought  that  that  was 
the  tide,  if  taken  at  the  flow  would  lead  on  to  re- 
formation. He  gave  a  powerful  sermon  on  lying. 
His  auditor  was  all  attention,  and  after  the  dis- 
course, he  said  to  the  preacher,  ''That  was  a  good 

discourse,  I  wish  our  sister ,  had  been  here,  it 

would  just  have  suited  her,  for  she  will  lie." 

Now  Solomon  did  not  intend  to  commit  sin,  but 
it  grew  on  him  like  old  age  unperceived,  and  God 
permitted  him  to  wander  off,  that  his  life  might  be 
a  lesson  to  all  succeeding  ages,  that  our  strength  is 
alone  to  be  found  in  God. 

The  inner  man,  like  the  imprisoned  wild  bird, 
dashes  against  the  bars  of  the  cage,  desires  to  look 


SOLOMON  AND  PAUL  CONTRASTED. 


319 


out  and  soar  aloft,  to  the  home  of  the  soul  from 
whence  it  comes.     The  only  true  light  must  come 
from  above.     In  the  language  of  the  great  apostle 
to  the  Gentiles,  "  Man,  by  wisdom,  knew  not  God." 
Some  of  the  wisest  nations  that  have  ever  graced 
the  earth,  have  groped  their  way  in  heathen  dark- 
ness.    Where  can  you  find  ideas  clothed  in  such 
beautiful  language  as  that  of  Greece  and  Rome? 
Where  can  you  find  poetry  equal  to  that  of  Homer 
and  Virgil?     For  two  thousand  years  their  sweet 
lays  have  continued  to  thrill  the  human  heart  like 
a  wild  bird's  song.    And  the  orations  of  Cicero 
and  Demosthenes  are  in  the  thoughts  that  speak, 
in  words  that  burn.    And  although  as  nations  they 
excelled  in   painting,   poetry    and  oratory,  they 
were  in  a  cloud  of  immorality  as  intensely  dark  as 
ever    overshadowed    Egypt's    sunny  land.     They 
bowed  down  to  wood  and  stone,  with  as  much  ven- 
eration as  an  American  bows  down  to  a  golden 
eagle.     They  worshiped  thirty  thousand  gods,  that 
were  no  gods,  and  Socrates  said  that  it  was  easier 
to  find  a  god  in  Athens  than  it  was  to  find  a  man. 
They  taught  their  children  that  theft  and  other 
like  crimes,  were  virtues.     As  Solomon  was  an  in- 
dividual example — these  were  national  examples 


320 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


given  for  our  admonition,  to  teach  us  that  the  way 
to  happiness  and  eternal  life  is  taught  alone  by 
God's  word. 

Take  another  example — the  poorest  and  the  rich- 
est man  the  world  possessed,  "  as  having  nothing, 
and  yet  possessing  all  things;"  he  comes  as  a  child 
to  the  foot  of  the  cross.  Although  learned  in  the 
wisdom  of  this  world,  he  determined  to  know 
nothing  but  Christ  and  him  crucified.  Enduring 
the  most  intense  suflering,  yet  enjoying  exquisite 
bliss,  thrice  beaten  with  rods,  once  stoned,  five 
times  received  thirty-nine  stripes,  in  hunger  and 
thirst  often,  yet  happy. 

Listen  to  his  last  words,  when  he  is  laying  his 
armor  by,  as  he  looks  with  feelings  of  approval 
over  his  Christian  race:  "For  I  am  now  ready  to 
be  oflFered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand, 
I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  kept  the  faith  ; 
henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown  of 
righteousness  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge 
shall  give  me  at  that  day,  and  not  to  me  only,  but 
to  all  them  also,  that  love  his  appearing."  All  was 
bright  and  beautiful  before  him.  "While  Solomon, 
like  some  misguided  barque  of  tremendous  size, 
cast  by  the  breakers  upon  a  lonely  beach,  whose 


SOLOMON    AND   PAUL   CONTRASTED. 


321 


huge   dimensions,  are  the   wonder  of  all  succeed- 
ing ages. 

You  are  on  one  or  the  other  road,  gentle  reader; 
you  are  going  down  to  eternal  death  or  you  are 
going  upward  to  dwell  with  the  good  and  great, 

forever  and  forever. 
21 


CHAPTER  XXI. 


SUFFERINGS   OF   CHRIST. 

Mat.  xxvii:  26-31.  ''Then  released  he  Barabbas  unto 
them,  and  when  he  had  scourged  Jesus,  he  delivered  him  to  be 
crucified.  Then  the  soldiers  of  the  governor  took  Jesus  into  the 
common  hall,  and  gathered  unto  him  the  whole  band  of  soldiers. 
And  they  stripped  him,  and  put  on  him  a  scarlet  robe.  And 
when  they  had  platted  a  crown  of  thorns,  they  put  it  upon  his 
head,  and  a  reed  in  his  right  hand,  and  they  bowed  the  knee 
before  him,  and  mocked  him,  saying:  Hail,  King  of  the  Jews. 
And  they  spit  upon  him,  and  thev  took  the  reed  and  smote  him 
on  the  head.  And  after  that  they  had  mocked  him,  they  took  the 
robe  off  from  him,  and  put  his  own  raiment  on  him,  and  led 
him  away  to  crucify  him." 

1  Peter  i:  11.  The  prophets  ''searching  what,  or  what  man- 
ner of  time  the  Spirit  of  Christ  which  was  in  them  did  signify, 
when  it  testified  beforehand,  the  sufferings  of  Christ,  and  the 
glory  that  should  follow.  .  .  .Which  things  the  angels  desir- 
ed to  look  into." 

THE  suftering  and  death  of  the  Son  of  God, 
and  the  glory  that  should  follow,  had  for 
many  centuries  engaged  the  best  thoughts  of  the 
wisest  men,  who  had  graced  the  earth.  The  apostle 
informs  us  that  the  prophets  had  searched  diligent- 
ly as  to  the  time  the  Spirit  testified  of,  when  he  re- 
vealed the  sufferings  of  Christ  and  the  glory 
that  should  follow.  The  apostle  informs  us  that 
not  only  prophets  and  other  good  men,  but  the 
angels  also  desired  to  look  into  this  wonderful 
(322) 


.'H 


SUFFERINGS   OF   CHRIST. 


323 


mystery.  That  fallen  angels  and  wicked  men 
should  suffer,  was  not  mysterious,  but  that  the  Son 
of  God  by  whom  the  heavens  and  the  worlds  were 
made,  who  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  equal  with 
God,  he  who  was  the  embodiment  of  purity  and 
innocence,  to  sufter;  this  was  the  mystery  of  mys- 
teries.    Angels  sinned  and  were  cast  down  to  hell. 

When  man  sinned,  angels  knew  that  death  was 
the  penalty  that  must  follow  God's  violated  law ; 
they  looked  to  see  man  hurled  into  the  bottomless 
pit,  and  when  they  saw  that  man  still  lived  and 
when  they  heard  God  say  :  ''  The  seed  of  the  woman 
shall  bruise  the  serpent's  head,"  their  anxiety  to 
look  into  the  mystery  was  shown  by  cherubims 
looking  down  upon  the  mercy-seat.  In  time  it  be- 
came apparent  that  it  was  God  manifested  in  the 
flesh  that  was  to  suffer,  not  only  from  the  evil  one, 
whom  he  came  to  conquer  and  subdue,  but  from 
fallen  man  also,  whom,  chained  in  slavery,  he  came 
to  redeem  and  set  free.  The  angels  looking  over 
the  battlements  of  heaven,  beheld  him  agonizing 
in  the  garden,  sweating  as  great  drops  of  blood ; 
they  follow  him  to  Pilate's  hall,  they  see  him  strip- 
ped of  his  clothes,  they  see  the  crown  of  thorns 
placed  on  his  head  and  the  blood  trickling  down 


324 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


his  face,  he  is  scourged,  they  heheld  the  clotted 
blood  as  it  fell  from  the  thong,  they  saw  his  lacer- 
ated back;  mystery  of  mysteries.  Will  he  not 
with  one  glance  of  his  eye  send  these  fiends  to  the 
lowest  hell.  Hear  him  say :  "  Father  forgive  them, 
they  know  not  what  they  do."  He  is  nailed  to 
the  cross  and  now  the  greatest  of  all  sufferings  im- 
aginable ;  God  withdraws  from  him  ;  he  submitted 
to  all  physical  suffering  without  a  murmur,  but  now 
comes  the  suffering,  compared  to  which  all  before 
had  been  but  as  a  drop  to  that  boundless  ocean 
of  sorrow,  when  God  withdrew  from  him.  He 
must  cross  the  river  of  death  alone.  Hear  him  in 
the  deepest  agony  exclaim,  "  My  God,  my  God, 
why  hast  thou  forsaken  me?" 

Sinner,  God  has  cast  an  influence  around  you, 
you  feel  his  presence,  calling  you  back  to  his  arms. 
It  will  be  in  the  judgment,  he  will  withdraw  his 
presence  from  you,  it  is  then  alone  you  will  know 
what  the  word  suffering  means;  alone,  alone  in 
outer  darkness,  deeper  and  deeper  you  sink,  con- 
scious that  it  is  a  bottomless  pit. 

Then  the  Son  of  God  dies,  not  from  his  wounds, 
but  from  his  mental,  spiritual  suffering.  When  he 
expires,  the  dismal  caverns  of  the  damned  rever- 


SUFFERINUS   OF   CHRIST. 


325 


berate  with  the  rejoicing  of  their  inmates.  Heaven 
suffered  that  man  might  be  happy;  Christ  died  that 
man  might  live  forever.  And  his  intense  suffering 
was  for  rebellious  worms,  polluted,  vile,  besotted 
with  sin.  The  angels  stand  aghast,  and  is  he  dead, 
he  by  whom  the  worlds  were  made  ?  Yes,  his  life- 
less body  lies  in  the  tomb,  he  breathes  not,  nor 
moves  a  hand.  But  the  angels  rejoiced  when  they 
beheld  the  glory  that  was  to  follow,  and  the 
prophet  looking  through  the  telescope  of  centuries, 
sang:  Zeph.  iii:  17,  "The  Lord  thy  God  in  the 
midst  of  thee  is  mighty,  he  will  save,  he  will  re- 
joice over  thee  witli  joy ;  he  will  rest  in  his  love,  he 
will  joy  over  thee  with  singing."  He  suffered  with- 
out the  camp  that  those  who  were  afar  off  might 
be  brought  nigh.  But  the  suffering  and  the  love 
of  the  Son  of  God,  my  feeble  pen  to  describe 
would  shrink  from  the  task,  were  the  ocean  ink, 
and  all  nature  a  book,  the  ocean  would  be  dipped 
dry,  and  the  book  thrice  written  over  and  the  story 
scarce  begun ;  eternity  will  be  too  short  to  tell 
the  wondrous  suffering  and  the  yet  more  wondr- 
ous love  displayed,  that  sin-polluted  man  might 
have  a  way  opened  whereby  he  might  be  cleansed, 
and  become  sons  and  daus^hters  of  God  and  joint 


326 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


SUFFERINGS   OF   CHRIST. 


327 


heirs  with  Christ,  and  be  able  to  call  God,  Father. 

Is  it  sweet  to  have  an  earthly  father  who  cares 
for  us  ?  What  does  it  mean,  those  plowmen  turn- 
ing up  the  fresh  soil,  and  those  wagons  busy  from 
sun  to  sun,  hauling  oft*  the  produce?  It  is  the 
father  providing  for  his  children.  Christ  loves  his 
followers  more  than  a  mother  ever  loved  her  only 
babe.  The  Christian's  Father  supplies  him  with 
spiritual  food,  as  well  as  supplying  his  natural 
wants.  The  pardon  of  his  sins,  the  gift  of  the 
Holy  Spirit  as  a  comforter,  and  a  promise,  if  he 
holds  out  faithful  to  the  end,  of  an  unfading  crown 
of  glory  and  to  drink  of  the  pure  water  of  the 
river  of  life  that  flows  from  the  throne  of  God. 

Behold  the  Christian  when  all  nature  is  in  a  con- 
vulsion ;  the  man  of  letters,  the  irreligious  philos- 
opher, trembles  at  the  sight.  The  writer  has  been 
in  a  storm  at  sea;  the  irreligious  man's  cheek 
grew  pale,  the  humble  Christian  may  then  well 
say.  Be  not  alarmed,  Father  is  at  the  helm  ;  it  will 
all  go  right.  Or  as  Paul  said,  Now  take  bread  we 
will  all  be  landed  safely. 

Sinner,  would  you  have  such  a  Father?  then 
come  and  go  along  with  us.  You  are  building 
your  monument  for  eternity;  what  you  do  to-day 


cannot  be  undone  on  to-morrow;  reject  Christ  now 
and  that  act  will  stand  against  you  in  the  day  of 
judgment;  the  recording  angel  stands  at  the  book 
with  the  pen  in  hand  to  record  your  act.  Oh  !  let  it 
be  not  for  death,  but  for  life,  and  the  angels  will 
rejoice. 


■1 


CHAPTER  XXn. 


THE  WORLD   UPSIDE  DOWN. 

Acts  xvii:  6.     "These  that  have  turned  the  world  upside 
down  have  come  hither  also." 

THIS  is  the  same  old  story  that  was  oft  re- 
peated while  Jesus  was  on  earth.  When  he 
was  preaching  peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to 
men,  and  saying:  "Render  to  Caesar  the  things 
that  belong  to  C?esar,  and  to  God  the  things  that 
are  God's,"  and  when  the  people  desired  to  make 
him  king,  he  refused  to  permit  them  to  do  so,  and 
said,  "  my  kingdom  is  not  of  this  world."  The 
Jews  accused  him  of  seeking  to  be  made  a  tem- 
poral king,  and  on  this  very  unreasonable  charge 
he  was  put  to  death.  Did  any  calamity  come,  war, 
pestilence,  famine  ?  Christianity  was  accused  of  it. 
Christianity  was  considered  a  common  sewer  into 
which  all  filth  was  poured.  Yet  it  has  ever  been 
as  a  laver  tilled  with  pure  water  wherein  even  man, 
blackened  by  sin,  can  become  as  white  as  snow. 
In  China  when  the  natives  created  an  insurrection, 

and  murdered   Christians,   and   committed  deeds 
(328) 


THE   WORLD   UPSIDE   DOWN. 


329 


that  should  have  caused  devils  to  blush.  Chris- 
tians who  were  there  preaching  love  to  all  men, 
and  subjection  to  those  in  authority,  and  to  return 
good  for  evil    to    all,    yet    were    charged    with 
producing  the  insurrection,  and  were  put  to  death 
upon   this   most  unwarrantable   charge.     It   was 
said  that  "  the  Christians  have  been  turning  the 
world   upside   down."     This   accusation   was   not 
true  as  represented  by  these  heathens.    The  Chris- 
tian's  guide  book,  the  Bible,  says,  be  subject  to  the 
powers  that  be ;  it  interferes  not  with  temporal  law. 
But  in    another   sense  the  charge  is  true.     In   a 
moral  point  of  vie-w  Christianity  is  turning  the 
world  upside  down,  and  if  any  part  of  this  world, 
more  than  another,  needs   turning   upside  down, 
that  part  is  Chinese.     Indeed  in  a  spiritual  sense 
the  whole  world  is  wrong  side  up,  the  world  says  : 

1.  Blessed  are  the  rich.  Men  bow  down  six,  and 
most  men  seven,  days  in  the  week  to  the  dirty,  fil- 
thy, greasy  dollar. 

2.  Blessed  are  the  ambitious ;  we  toady  to  men 
in  high  places,  and  to  the  rich. 

3.  Blessed  are  great  warriors,  who  have  written 
their  names  in  blood  on  the  temple  of  fame. 

4.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers.  God,  not  man, 
blesses  peacemakers. 


330 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


5.  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit.  God,  not  man, 
honors  the  poor  in  spirit. 

6.  Blessed  are  they  that  thirst  after  righteous- 
ness. God,  not  man,  blesses  them  that  seek  right- 
eousness. 

Would  not  the  world  be  better  if  it  would  turn 
this  pyramid  upside  down?  The  promise  is  not 
to  the  great.  Christ  says :  "  Except  ye  become 
as  little  children,  ye  cannot  enter  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."  The  philosopher  who  considered  him- 
self too  wise  to  drink  in  faith,  and  has  been  setting 
his  judgment  as  a  tribunal  to  try  his  Creator  by, 
learns  that  to  get  to  the  summit  he  must  begin  at 
the  base,  and  become  as  humble  as  a  little  child. 
The  door  to  Christ's  kingdom  is  so  low,  it  can 
only  be  entered  on  bended  knees.  This  is  very 
distasteful  to  the  world,  and  then  too,  Christ  has 
taught  that  he  who  trusts  in  riches  cannot  enter 
the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

1.  The  Christian  religion  turns  the  world  upside 
down  by  its  teaching.  Tlie  world  says,  an  eye  for 
an  eye;  a  tooth  for  a  tooth,  but  Jesus  says  resist 
not  evil.  The  world  says  let  no  one  impose  upon 
you ;  Jesus  says  if  they  sue  you  at  the  law  and  take 
your  coat,  give  him  your  cloak  also.     The  world 


THE   WORLD   UPSIDE   DOWN. 


331 


says,  love  your  friends  and  hate  your  enemies ; 
Jesus  says  love  your  enemies,  if  your  enemy  hun- 
ger  feed  him,  if  he  thirst  give  him  drink.  The 
man  of  wealth  says  I  will  pull  down  my  barns  and 
build  greater  ones ;  the  world  calls  him  a  wise 
man  ;  Jesus  calls  him  a  tool,  and  says,  this  night 
thy  soul  shall  be  required  of  thee.  He  did  not, 
like  that  humble  Christian,  give  to  the  poor  of  his 
abundance  and  lay  up  treasure  in  heaven. 

2.  The  world  says  good  works  will  take  you  to 
heaven,  the  Bible  says  works  without  faith  are 
dead  ;  that  the  blood  of  Jesus  alone  can  cleanse  us 
from  sin.  The  Bible  says  that  we  get  to  the  blood 
of  Jesus  by  faith,  repentance  and  baptism. 

3.  As  the  acorn  contains  the  oak  in  a  diminutive 
form,  man's  heart  is  the  world  in  miniature ;  and 
if  he'  is  ever  saved,  his  heart  like  the  world  must 
be  turned  upside  down.     The  heart  of  the  uncon- 
verted man  is  all  for  the  world;  honor,  wealth, 
fame  are  his  thoughts  by  day  and  his  dreams  by 
night.    But   Christianity  turns  his  heart  upside 
down ;  his  treasure   now,  is  placed  in  heaven,  and 
where  the  treasure  is,  there  will  be  the  heart  also. 
Are   you  my  friends    looking  upward   or  down- 
ward ?    Are  your  treasures  in  heaven  or  on  earth  ? 


332 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Are  you  growing,  or  are  you  on  the  decline  ?  for 
there  is  nothing  stationary  in  this  world;  in  eterni- 
ty all  things  remain  unchanged,  but  in  time  all 
things  are  constantly  changing,  there  is  not  a  leaf, 
nor  a  spear  of  grass  that  has  not  changed  in  the 
past  hour,  and  so  have  you  gentle  reader,  physi- 
cally and  morally,  you  are  better  or  you  are  worse 
than  you  were  an  hour  ago.  Are  you  traveling  hell- 
ward  or  heavenward  ?  It  is  not  possible  for  you  to 
remain  stationary  for  a  moment ;  every  time  you 
refuse  to  obey  the  gospel  you  have  made  one  move 
on  the  checker  board  of  life  towards  hell,  and 
from  heaven ;  making  it  that  much  more  difficult 
for  you  to  return.  Oh  !  that  you  would  embrace 
the  opportunity  and  become  filled  with  the  bright 
and  cheerful  prospect  of  occupying  a  house  not 
made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens. 

When  the  sinner's  heart  is  turned  upside  down, 
he  delights  in  reading  the  Bible ;  it  is  his  constant 
companion;  he  rejoices  when  they  say,  let  us  go 
up  to  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  worship.  I  speak 
of  the  real  Christian,  not  the  imitation;  for  in  the 
great  day,  Christ  will  say  to  many  Christians: 
Depart  into  outer  darkness,  for  I  never  knew  you. 
Then  let  me  say,  in  the  words  of  my  master, 
''  Strive  to  enter  in,  for  few  will  be  saved." 


THE   WORLD    UPSIDE   DOWN. 


333 


4.     The  man  himself  is  turned  upside  down.     I 
once  had  a  dear  Christian  brother;  I  have  stood 
side  by  side  with  him  thirty  years  ago ;  we  were 
pleading  in  our  Master's  cause.    He  was  so  humble, 
good  and  devoted.     This  brother,  Thomas  Bailey, 
of  Decatur,  Indiana,  [if  he  is  still  living,  I  hope  he 
will   pardon  me  for  using  his  name]    had   been 
wrong  side  up ;  when  intoxicated  he  would  fight  at 
the  drop  of   a  hat.     Behold  him  as  he  goes  stag- 
gering home  from  the  saloon,  that  cess-pool  of  in- 
iquity.   His  wife  may  well  stand  trembling  at  the 
door,  while  the  children  hide  from  fear.     The  gos- 
pel got  hold  of  him  and  turned  him  upside  down. 
See  him  now;  Sister    Bailey  meets  him  with  a 
smile,  a  glad  shout  goes  up  from  his  two  boys  and 
his  little  girl.  Father  is  coming.     He  could  formerly 
sing  of  a  flowing  bowl;  he  now  sings  of  a  fountain 
filled  with  blood.     Suppose  on  Lord's  day  while 
returning  from  church  with  his  family,  he  should 
meet  his  former  self,  red  eyes,  and  oh !  what  a  face; 
but  I'll  not  introduce  him,  but  let  him  pass,  for  he 
would  fain  forget  his  former  self— and  let  us  for- 
get the  past  and  press  forward  to  the  things  before ; 
for  the  things  before  are  of  far  more  importance 
than  anything  of  the  past. 


CHAPTER  XXm. 


FIRST  PETER-i:   22,  23. 

"Seeing  ye  have  purified  your  souls  in  obeying  the  truth 
through  the  Spirit  unto  unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren,  see  that 
ye  love  one  another  with  a  pure  heart,  fervently.  Being  born 
again,  not  of  corruptible  seea,  but  of  incorruptible,  by  the  word 
of  God,  which  liveth  and  abideth  forever.'* 

THIS  is  one  of  the  most  interesting  and  in- 
structive epistles,  breathing  humbleness  and 
love.  It  was  written  at  or  near  Babylon  and  sent 
by  Silas  to  the  churches  in  Asia  Minor,  confirming 
what  they  had  been  taught  by  Paul,  and  exhorting 
them  to  walk  worthy  of  the  vocation  wherewith 
they  were  called,  that  by  their  daily  walk  they 
might  convince  the  world.  And  he  offers  the 
strongest  inducements  and  the  ablest  arguments 
why  they  should  submit  to  the  persecutions  which 
then  prevailed  [A.  D.  66]  that  their  faith  was  more 
precious  than  gold  that  is  tried  with  fire.  Your 
faith  must  also  be  tried  that  it  may  be  found  to  the 
praise  and  honor  and  glory  at  the  appearing  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

When  he  comes  to  the  22nd.  verse,  he    says: 
(334) 


FIRST   PETER 


335 


"  Seeing  ye  have  purified  your  souls  in  obeying 
the  truth  through  the  Spirit  unto  unfeigned  love 
of  the  brethren,  see  that  ye  love  one  another  with 
a  pure  heart,  fervently."  How  did  they  purify 
their  souls?  Peter  answers:  "In  obeying  the 
truth."  If  you  wish  your  soul  purified,  the  way 
to  obtain  that  much  desired  object,  is  by  obeying 
the  truth,  "  thy  word  is  truth."  Heb.  v:  9,  "  He 
became  the  author  of  eternal  salvation  to  all  them 
that  obey  him."  Heb.  vii:  25,  "  Wherefore  he 
is  able  also  to  save  to  the  uttermost  all  that  come 
unto  God  by  him."  Rom.  vi:  17,  "  Ye  have  obeyed 
from  the  heart  that  form  of  doctrine  which  was  de- 
livered you,  being  then  made  free  from  sin."  When 
were  they  made  free  from  sin?  Paul  answers: 
When  you  "obeyed  from  the  heart  that  form  of 
doctrine  delivered  you." 

The  purity  of  the  heart  is  made  manifest  by  the 
unfeigned  love  of  the  brethren.  1  John  iii:  14, "  We 
know  that  we  have  passed  from  death  unto  life  be- 
cause we  love  the  brethren,  he  that  loveth  not  his 
brother  abideth  in  death."  Verse  23,  "  Being  born 
again  not  of  corruptible  seed,  but  of  incorruptible 
seed  by  the  word  of  God  which  liveth  and  abideth 
forever."     As  a  descendant  of  Adam,  you  were 


336 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


born  into  the    natural  world  of  corruptible  seed. 
Verse  24,  "  For  all  flesh  is  as  grass,  and  all  glory  of 
man  as  the  flower  of  grass;  the  grass  withereth 
and  the  flower  thereof  falleth  away,  but  the  word 
of  the  Lord  endureth  forever.     And  this  is  the 
word  which  by  the  gospel  is  preached  unto  you." 
All  the  descendants  of  Adam  must  perish  as  the 
grass,  all  worldly  honor,  learning,  fame,  and  even 
morality,  unless  you  are  born  again  of  incorrup- 
tible seed.     John  iii:  3,  "Except  a  man  be  born 
again  he  connot  see  the  kingdom  of  God."     Verse 
5,  "  Except  a  man  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit 
he  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  This  is 
from  our  Lord  and  Savior,  the  great  law-giver  him- 
self, and  you  will  observe  there  is  no  exception  to  the 
rule;  every  one  who  enters  the  kingdom  of  God 
must  first  be  born  of  water  and  of  the  Spirit  and 
Christ  makes  it  without  limit  as  to  time ;  it  will  be 
as  true  in  the  day  of  judgment,  as  when  he  uttered  it. 
Were  you,  my  brother,  born  of  water  and  of  the 
Spirit?     Titus  iii:  5,  "Not  by  works  of  righteous- 
ness which  we  have  done, but  according  to  his  mercy 
he  saved  us,  by  the  washing  of  regeneration  and  the 
renewing  of  the  Holy  Ghost."     What  does  it  mean 
by  the  washing  of  regeneration?     Regeneration 


FIRST    PETER 


337 


f 


means  a  new  birth,  hence  it  means  he  saved  us  by 
washing,    a  new  birth  and  the  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost.      God  works  by  means  and  it  has 
always  required,  on  the  part  of  man,  a  visible  act 
to  enter  God's  visible  church.     You  must  enter  by 
the  door  into  the  sheepfold.     A  child  cannot  exist 
in  nature's  kingdom  until  it  is  born.     So  a  new 
birth  must  precede  a  spiritual  life.     As  the  unborn 
child  cannot  enjoy  natural  life,  so  no  man  can  en- 
joy spiritual  life  until  born  again.     It  is  only  when 
he  has  been  born  again  that  he  can  return  good 
for  evil.     I  saw  it  Qnce  exhibited  in  a  ludicrous 
manner  by  Brother  L.  B.  Wilkes  whose  wisdom 
is  only  equaled  by  his  wit.      He  saw  that  I  looked 
for  him  to  resent  a  remark  that  was  made  at  meet- 
ing.    He  gave  me  a  comical  expression  as  he  re- 
marked, "Brother  Frazee,  there   was   a  man  in 
Iowa  by  the  name  of  Porter;  he  was  about  seven 
feet  tall  and  his  hand  as  big  as  a  saddle  skirt;  his 
little  wasp  of  a  wife  used  to  whip  him.     One  morn- 
ing his  crying  brought  in  the  neighbors.     They 
said :  Porter,  why  do  you  stand  it  ?  you  could  throw 
her  over  the  house.     Between  sobs,  he  turned  up  a 
quizzical  face,  while  she  was  beating  him  in  the 

back,  and  said,  let  her  alone  it  is  not  hurting  me 
22 


338  REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 

and  is  doing  her  lots  of  good.'^  Excuse  this,  as 
Brother  Wilkes  hardly  ever  tells  a  joke— unless  he 
has  the  chance ;  but  there  is  more  sunshine  about 
liim  than  any  other  man  in  six  nations;  a  lovable, 
forgiving,  child-like  nature.  So  you  too,  brother, 
in  the  language  of  the  text,  must  have,  "  unfeign- 
ed  love  of  the  brethren."  Love  is  like  faith,  it  is 
impossible  to  please  God  without  it. 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 


THE  TRUE  TABERNACLE 

Heb.  viii :  2.    A  minister  of  the  sanctuary,  and  of  the  true 
tabernacle  which  the  Lord  pitched,  and  not  man.'* 

I  HAVE  read  this  portion  of  the  word  of  the 
Lord  to  show  wherein  the  tabernacle  was  a  type 
of  the  Christian  church.  God  commanded  Moses  to 
build  the  tabernacle  like  the  pattern.  "  And  look 
that  thou  make  th.em  after  their  pattern  which 
was  showed  thee  in  the  mount.''  Ex.  xxv :  40. 
That  tabernacle  was  erected  by  labor,  but  the  true 
tabernacle  was  pitched  by  the  Lord.  Moses  calls 
that  tabernacle  the  house  of  the  Lord.  It  was  com- 
posed of  precious  material,  such  as  gold,  silver,  cop- 
per, prefiguring  the  great  value  of  Christians — live- 
ly precious  stones,  forming  the  church  of  the  Lord. 
All  the  material  in  the  tabernacle  although  cost- 
ing over  a  million  of  dollars  of  our  money,  yet 
was  a  free  will  oflering,  voluntarily  contributed. 
Ex.  xxv :  2.  The  sides  of  the  tabernacle  were 
composed  of  pillars  of  acacia,  each  pillar  being  sev- 
enteen feet  long,  thirty  inches  broad,  and  twenty- 

(339) 


340 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


one  inches  thick.     Suppose  one  of  the  pillars  had 
been  sixteen  feet  and  eleven  inches  long,  or  only 
twenty  inches  thick.     Do  you  suppose  God  would 
have  shown  his    acceptance  by  a  display  of  his 
divine  presence?     If   only  one  pillar  had  lacked 
but  one  inch  of  the  proper  breadth,  I  suppose  God 
would  have  rejected  the  entire  building.     God  re- 
quires  strict  obedience    to  the  letter.     Yet   how 
prone  man  is  to  wish  to  change  it  a  little.     Tell  a 
child   to  do   a  thing   in    a   certain   way,  and  he 
changes  it  a  little,  if  it    gives  him  more  trouble. 
Tell  him  to  bring  six  sticks  of  wood,  and  ten  to  one 
he  will  bring  in  five  or  seven  ;  and  a  man  is  but  a 
grown  up  child. 

In  these  days  of  Young  America,  God's  com- 
mands have  been  so  changed  in  warp  and  woof 
that  no  resemblance  is  left,  and  we  are  told  that  if 
a  man  is  honest  and  thinks  he  is  obeying  the  Lord, 
it  will  be  all  right.  So  thought  Uzza,  and  so  thought 
the  priest  spoken  of  in  the  13th  chapter  of  Ist 
Kings. 

The  holy  place  was  a  type  of  the  church,  1 
Cor.  iii  :  16,  Acts  xv  :  16.  The  cherubims  were 
emblems  of  angels,  Ileb.  i  :  14.  The  most  holy 
place  was  a  type  of  heaven  where  our  high  priest, 


THE  TRUE  TABERNACLE. 


341 


has  entered,  Heb.  ix  :  24.  The  partition  veil  rep- 
resented Christ.  When  he  was  pierced  the  veil  was 
rent  from  top  to  bottom,  Heb.  x  :  20.  The  mercy 
seat  represented  mercy  covering  the  broken  law. 
Altar  ot  incense  the  prayers  of  the  saints,  Luke  i : 
10,  Rev.  V  :  8. 

The  court  inclosed  the  tabernacle,  and  was  100 
cubits  from  west  to  east.  The  first  object  of  interest 
you  meet  is  the  brazen  altar,  eight  feet  and  nine 
inches  in  length,  and  the  same  in  breadth  and  five 
feet  three  inches  high,  with  a  rim  around  the  top. 
The  Israelite  brought  his  lamb  here  and  delivered 
it  to  the  priest,  who  offered  it  on  this  altar,  as  the 
lamb  of  God  was  offered  without  the  camp.  The 
priest  then  went  to  the  laver,  a  large  brazen  vessel 
filled  with  water,  that  stood  just  east  of  the  door 
of  the  tabernacle  :  he  here  took  off  his  clothes  and 
bathed  his  body,  and  put  on  his  priestly  robe, 
before  he  was  permitted  to  enter  the  tabernacle . 

As  the  tabernacle  was  a  type  of  the  church,  here 
was  a  type  of  entering  the  church.  The  taber- 
nacle being  divided  into  two  apartments,  the  first 
entered  was  the  holy,  which  was  twenty  cubits 
east  and  west,  and  ten  cubits  north  and  south, 
and    ten    cubits    high.      The   west  division    was 


342 


REMINISCENCES  AND  SERMONS. 


THE  TRUE  TABERNACLE. 


343 


the  most  holy  and  was  ten  cubits  square.     The 
priests  were  only  allowed  iu  the  holy  which  was 
separated  from  the  most  holy  by  three  curtains 
which  excluded  the  light.     Here,  the  high  priest 
entered  but  once  a  year.     It  was  a  type  of  heaven. 
He  entered  it  not  without  blood  to  make  atone- 
ment   for  himself  and  the  people.     The  brazen 
altar  was  typical  ot  faith.     The  laver  repesented 
baptism;    the  candle-stick  the  gospel;   the  shew 
bread  the  supper ;  the  altar  of  incense  the  prayers. 
Their  position  could  not  be  changed.     If  the  laver 
was  put  before  the   brazen  altar  we  would  have 
baptism  before  fiiith,  or  if  the  altar  of  incense  was 
put  before  the  laver,  you  would  have  prayers  be- 
fore  baptism.     The    laver  could    not  have  been 
placed  after  the  altar  of  incense,  as  the  door  of  the 
tabernacle  was  too  small.     The  laver  that  stood  in 
front  of  the  temple  was  forty-iive  feet  in  circum- 
ference, fifteen  feet  broad;  the  door  was  not  half 
that  wide. 

Read  Lev.  viii:  6  :  "  And  Moses  brought  Aaron 
and  his  sons  and  washed  them  with  water  and  put 
on  them  the  priestly  robes."  Again  Ex.  xxix :  4  : 
'•  And  Aaron  and  his  sons,  thou  shalt  bring  unto 
the  door  of  the  tabernacle  of  the  congregation,  and 


i 


i 


shalt  wash  them  with  water."  And  the  whole 
body  must  be  washed  before  they  could  become 
priests.  This  was  done  but  once,  baptism  is  per- 
formed but  once,  and  this  too  is  the  last  act  where- 
by we  become  kings  and  priests  unto  God.  The 
priest  was  then  sprinkled  with  blood  and  oil.  The 
Christian  then  comes  to  the  blood  of  Christ  and 
the  Holy  Spirit.  Gal.  iv :  6 :  "Because  ye  are 
sons  God  has  sent  forth  the  spirit  of  his  Son  into 
your  hearts  crying,  Abba,  Father." 

The  most  holy  contained  the  ark  containing  the 
tables,  the  pot  of  manna,  and  Aaron's  rod. 

The  mercy  seat  overlying  the  ark.  The  golden 
censer,  on  the  mercy  seat  was  a  constant  light.  At 
this  Shekinah  God  conversed  with  the  high  priest, 
and  cherubims  as  angels  looking  down  on  the 
Urim  and  Thuramim  L  e.  light  and  perfection,  that 
God  would  give  the  high  priest.  Our  High  Priest 
is  in  heaven. 


i 


CHAPTER  XXV. 


GROWTH. 


2  Peter 
our  Lord 


111:  18,  But  grow  in  grace,  and  in  the  knowledge  of 
and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ."  lPeterii:2,  "Desire  the 
fm%V'*'\^\^^''-  ^¥  w^^^^tliat  ye  may  grow  thereby."  Mark  iv: 
26, 27.  The  kingdom  of  God  is  as  if  a  man  should  castseed  into 
the  ground  ancfshould  sleep,  and  rise  night  and  day,  and  the 
seed  should  spring  and  grow  up,  he  knoweth  not  how." 

WHY  does  Teter  ask  the  Cliristiati  to  grow  in 
grace?  Man  cannot  of  his  own  power 
grow  physically,  morally,  intellectually  or  spiritual- 
ly. Yet  according  to  common  parlance,  a  man 
grows  in  and  of  himself.  We  say  that  A  built  a 
fine  mansion,  yet  we  know  that  A  is  a  blockhead, 
and  cannot  build  a  pig  pen  judiciously ;  yet  he  em- 
ployed skilled  laborers  that  erected  the  edifice. 

And  although  a  child  cannot  add  one  inch  to  his 
height,  nor  can  a  philosoplier  add  one  pound  to  his 
weight,  yet,  if  certain  material  is  brought  to- 
gether, God  has  planted  a  germ  in  man  that  will 
cause  growth.  So  in  every  department  of  nature, 
the  same  law  holds  good.  In  tlie  vegetable  king- 
dom,  God  grows  the  corn.     How  it  grows,  is  un- 

revealed  and  beyond  the  sphere  of  man :  for  re- 
(344) 


GROWTH. 


345 


vealed  things  are  for  man,  but  unrevealed  things 
are  for  God  alone.  We  know  that  the  corn  con- 
tains a  germ,  called  life.  In  the  beginning  God 
married  life  to  the  sap;  this,  an  immaterial,  was 
united  to  a  material  body.  Let  the  anatomist  dis- 
sect, and  the  chemist  analyze,  yet  life  is  too  subtle, 
too  ethereal  to  be  detected;  when  it  is  separated 
from  the  sap  it  is  called  vegetable  death. 

This  thing  called  life,  that  God  placed  in  the 
vegetable,  in  the  beginning  causes  growth,  but 
how  we  know  not. 

You  may  give  man  the  seed  corn  and  place  him 
in  the  salubrious  cli«iate  of  southern  California, 
where  grain  once  sown,  produces  two  or  three 
annual  crops,  and  let  him  fold  his  arms,  and  he  has 
pitched  his  tent  toward  the  poor  house.  Even  in 
this  highly  favored  country,  man  must  place  the 
seed  in  the  ground,  and  even  then  he  fails  to  real- 
ize a  crop  unless  he  put  the  ground  in  good  con- 
dition before  planting  the  seed.  Man  must  co-op- 
erate with  God.  God  has  worked  hitherto,  now 
man  must  work.  God  will  not  do  for  man  what 
man  can  do  for  himself.  God  has  placed  life,  the 
growing  principle  in  the  seed,  he  now  gives  the 
warm  sunshine,  the  gentle  shower,  and  the  fertile 


346 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


GROWTH. 


347 


soil,  and  says,  you  work  and  1  will  grow  the  crop. 
What  you  cannot  do,  I  will  do  for  you. 

So  it  is  in  the  animal  kingdom ;  God  placed  life 
in  the  blood.  We  cannot  pick  life  out  of  the 
blood  and  look  at  it.  All  that  we  know  of  it  is 
by  its  mysterious  displays  of  power.  How  is  it 
that  a  bird,  which  is  heavier  than  the  air,  stays  in 
the  air,  and  flies  in  the  face  of  the  storm  ?  ''  By 
his  bones  being  hollow,  and  the  motion  of  his 
wings."  Nonsense ;  take  the  lightest  feather  in  an 
eagle's  wing  and  place  it  in  that  light  upper  atmos- 
phere where  the  eagle  soars,  and  it  will  fall  like  a 
stone,  for  a  thousand  feet.  How  is  it  then  ?  Ah  ! 
that  has  never  been  revealed ;  it  is  the  animal  life 
which  God  has  placed  in  the  blood,  but  how  it 
exerts  such  a  power  we  cannot  tell.  Separate  the 
life  from  the  blood,  and  the  bird  falls  to  the 
ground. 

So  ii  is  in  the  spiritual  life.  Our  Father  work- 
eth  hitherto,  and  now  we  must  work.  God  has 
given  man  the  Bible  and  says  to  him :  "  Grow  in 
grace  and  in  the  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior  Jesus  Christ."  But  how  can  I  grow  ?  By 
getting  a  knowledge  of  our  Lord  and  Savior  Jesus 
Christ;  God  will  cause  the  growth,  by  that  spirit- 


ual germ  he  has  planted  in  man.  God  has  given 
us  his  word  as  food  for  the  spiritual  germ,  and  has 
given  us  brains  to  feed  upon  that  word,  and  God 
says  to  man,  desire  the  word,  as  a  new-born  babe 
desires  milk,  that  you  may  grow  thereby.  Man 
may  have  the  word  and  possess  the  brains,  and  yet 
if  he  fails  to  bring  the  word  and  the  brains  in  con- 
junction, he  will  become  a  living  skeleton.  Man 
must  use  this  brain  food  to  supply  the  spiritual 
germ  with  nourishment.  I  have  seen  whole 
families,  from  a  spiritual  point  of  view,  walking 
skeletons,  with  the  living  word  in  the  house,  sur- 
rounded with  food  and  yet  starving  to  death  for 
want  of  nourishment.  While  holding  a  meeting 
at  Monserratt,  I  went  home  with  the  elder  of  the 
church.  At  bedtime  he  took  the  Bible  down  for 
me  to  read  a  chapter;  a  letter  fell  out  that  contain- 
ed a  bill  of  goods,  bought  by  his  son,  who  was  a 
merchant ;  this  important  letter  had  been  lost  for  a 
number  of  days  and  they  had  in  vain  sought  dili- 
gently for  the  letter,  as  they  were  unable  to  mark 
the  goods,  not  knowing  their  cost.  The  letter  was 
in  a  secure  place  to  have  remained  lost,  had  I  not 

called. 

This  kind  of  growth  diminishes  instead  of  add- 
ing to  the  stature  of  the  individual. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 


THE  SOUL. 

•l7i^u^?  gain  the  whole  world  and  lose  his  own  soul;  he 
will  be  the  loser. '  ' 

THE  above  contains  the  sense  of  our  blessed 
Lord's  remark,  recorded  in  the  26  verse  of 
the  xvi  chapter  of  the  gospel  hy  Matthew.  In 
addition  to  the  text  I  would  also  refer  to  Isaiah 
Iv:  3:  "Hear  and  your  soul  shall  live."  Psalms 
xix :  8 :  "  For  the  redemption  of  their  soul  is 
precious." 

Although  the  soul  is  of  inestimable  value ;  yet  to 

judge  from  men's  conduct,  we  would  come  to  the 

conclusion,  that  it  was  of  but  little  value,  for  men 

give  much    more  attention  to  temporal  matters. 

Feeding  and  clothing  the  body,  and  making  money 

seem  to  be  the  desideratum   of   human  life;  and 

the  soul  is  neglected  until  death  comes,  when  it  is 

forever  too  late;  then  if  they  had  it  they  would  in 

the  language  of  queen  Elizabeth  of  England  say; 

My  kingdom  for  an  inch  of  time." 

The  value  of  the  soul  is  shown,  in  its   having" 
(348)  ^ 


THE   SOUL. 


349 


been  created  immortal  and  thus  closely  connected 
with  the  angels.  Our  bodies  are  beautifully,  won- 
derfully and  mysteriously  made ;  the  hand  is 
admirably  adapted  to  the  uses  for  which  it  was 
formed ;  what  a  tattler  the  countenance,  often  un- 
willingly revealing  the  owner's  mind;  and  the  eye 
the  only  telescope  that  enables  man  to  make  accu- 
rate observation  of  objects  near  by  and  those  at  a 
distance  without  readjustment.  All  telescopes 
that  have  been  invented  by  man  have  to  be  re- 
adjusted. And  what  a  marvelous  mystery  the 
brain,  the  present  home  of  the  soul,  parts  of  the 
machinery  by  which  the  confined  soul  operates ; 
they  are  all  of  earth,  earthy,  and  are  rapidly 
tending  back  to  dust  from  whence  they  came. 

One  of  the  indications  of  the  value  of  the  soul 
is  its  reasoning  powers ;  although  a  man  may  have 
lost  both  legs,  and  an  arm,  and  the  remainder  of 
him,  be  worn  to  a  skeleton  by  disease,  his  mind  is 
vigorous  as  it  was  in  his  palmy  days.  The  soul 
loses  none  of  its  vigor  as  long  as  there  is  enough 
ot  the  body  left  to  hold  the  soul  in.  When  the 
soul  is  about  to  leave  the  body  it  is  thought  to 
shine  brighter  than  at  any  former  period.     ''  God 


350 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


breathed  into  man  the  breath  of  lives,  and  man  be- 
came a  living  soul." 

Solomon  says  in  death:  "  Then  shall  the  dust  re- 
turn to  the  earth  as  it  was ;  and  the  spirit  shall 
return  to  the  God  who  gave  it.''  Job  who  ante- 
dates Moses  by  one  hundred  and  twenty  years,  says 
"  there  is  a  spirit  in  man,"  while  Paul,  the  apostle 
says  "  to  be  absent  from  the  body  is  to  be  present 
with  the  Lord." 

2.  The  faculties  of  the  soul,  inform  us  of  its  val- 
ue. 1.  The  understanding  is  the  eye  of  the  soul;  it 
is  the  window  through  which  the  light  is  trans- 
mitted to  the  soul.  A  question  is  presented,  the 
understanding  examines  it  carefully  then  passes 
it  over  to  that  other  faculty  called  second  judgment. 
This  faculty  weighs  and  determines  more  accu- 
rately, and  after  deciding,  hands  the  question  over 
to  the  third  faculty  called  the  will,  which  chooses 
or  rejects.  There  is  a  fourth  faculty  called  the 
affections,  which  hates  or  loves  an  object.  There  is 
also  the  fifth  faculty  called  memory  by  which  such 
things  as  we  wish  to  retain  are  laid  carefully  away 
in  the  store  house  for  future  use.  The  sixth  fac- 
ulty called  conscience,  pronounces  a  judgment  on 


THE   SOUL. 


351 


all  we  say  or  do:  if  it  approves  it  gives  us  pleasure; 
if  it  disapproves  it  lashes  us. 

Of  what  immense  value  must  be  the  soul  since 
God  has  given  it  such  precious  faculties.  They 
make  man  resemble  the  angels. 

3.  The  value  of  the  soul  is  shown  by  its  immor- 
tality. It  pleased  God  to  make  the  soul  an  undy- 
ing creature.  Immortality  seems  imprinted  on  its 
nature ;  all  nations,  tongues  and  people  consider 
the  soul  immortal.  The  learned  European,  the 
eloquent  American,  the  ingenious  Chinee,  the  nude 
Indian,  all  consider  the  soul's  immortality  a  settled 
question.  This  idea  lias  undoubtedly  been  handed 
down  by  tradition  ;  it  must  have  been  taught  to 
man  by  God,  for  unaided  by  revelation  man  could 
never  reason  up  to  immortality. 

Man  believes  it,  longs  for  it;  whether  ignorant  or 
learned,  he  has  a  great  dread  of  annihilation. 

The  value  of  the  soul  is  shown  in  what  it  cost  to 
redeem  it— the  life  blood  of  the  only  Son  of  God,  he 
who  was  all  human  and  descended  to  the  lowest 
condition  of  our  race;  and  was  all  divine  and 
reached  to  the  throne  ot  the  highest  majesty  in  the 
heavens,  and  thought  it  not  robbery  to  be  called 
equal  with  God. 


352 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Nothing  less  than  this  divine  blood  could  re- 
deem the  soul ;  all  the  blood  ever  shed  on  Jewish 
altars,  could  not  redeem  a  soul.  The  soul  looked 
through  its  window  at  the  apple  fall,  and  solved 
the  problem  of  the  attraction  of  gravitation  by 
which  the  various  worlds  are  made  to  revolve  in 
their  respective  orbits.  How  animal  life — an  im- 
material substance,  can  dwell  in  the  blood — a  mate- 
rial substance,  is  a  mystery ;  but  only  one  of  many 
mysteries,  connected  with  and  created  for  the  soul ; 
and  although  they  all  must  perish,  and  yet  when 
the  sun  dies  with  old  age  and  sends  his  last  flicker- 
ing ray  of  light  athwart  the  heavens,  the  soul  will 
be  marching  on  in  immortal  youth. 

When  man  was  created  there  appears  to  have 
been  a  conference  held  in  heaven.  God  said, "  let  us 
make  man,  in  our  image  and  after  our  likeness." 
God,  his  Son,  and  the  Holy  Spirit,  the  creator, 
the  provider,  and  the  enlightener.  God  signifies 
creator;  Lord,  provider;  Spirit,  enlightener. 
God  created  all  things.  The  Lord  provides  for 
man's  redemption.  The  Spirit  enlightens  through 
the  word.  The  spirit  or  soul  is  intelligent  and  can 
talk,  Mark  v:  10.  "And  the  spirits  besought  Jesus 
that  he  would  not  send   them   away  out  of  the 


THE    SOUL. 


353 


country."  Acts  ix:  15,  "  «Tesus  I  know,  and  Paul 
I  know,  but  who  are  you?"  The  spirit,  or  soul, 
dwells  in  and  uses  the  brain  for  its  workshop ;  the 
breath  of  lives  is  the  machine  propelling  power. 
The  Lord  God  breathed  into  man  the  breatn  of 
lives  and  man  became  a  "  living  soul."  Eccle.  iii: 
21,  "Who  knoweth  the  spirit  of  man  that  goeth 
upward,  and  the  spirit  of  the  beast  that  goeth 
downward  to  the  earth."  1  Kings  xvii:  21,  "  0 
Lord  my  God,  I  pray  thee,  let  this  child's  soul 
come  into  him  again."  The  words  soul  and  spirit 
are  used  interchangeably.  Sometimes  the  word 
soul  is  applied  to  the  whole  man,  as  in  Lev.  iv:  2, 
and  xxii:  11,  and  xxiii:  30.  But  in  our  text  it  re- 
fers to  the  spirit  or  immortal  part  of  man. 

When  the  current  that  conducts  the  life  sustain- 
ing spark  of  electricity  that  emanates  from  God 
the  Father,  and  flows  to  the  germ  of  the  soul,  in 
time  is  severed  by  man,  it  is  sad,  indeed,  to  see 
the  soul,  the  intelligent  part  of  man  wandering 
alone,  with  tendency  downward.  But  by  a  strong 
will  eflibrt  of  man,  it  may  return  and  unite  the  cur- 
rent;  for  night  and  day  God  is  crying.  Come  to  me 
for  oh!  why  will  you  die?  And  then  too,  time 
means  change,  for  constant  change  is  written  on 
23 


354 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


all  things  wliicli  we  behold.  But  in  eternity  to 
have  that  life-giving  current  that  emanates  from 
the  great  fountain  of  love  and  of  life,  cut  asunder, 
it  is  more  than  sad ;  it  is  deplorable,  lamentable, 
thrice  sad,  miserable,  wretched  beyond  description, 
for  there  all  things  remain  unchanged;  in  eternity 
nothing  changes. 

Reader,  did  you  ever  stand  by  the  side  of  a 
dying  person,  after  he  had  obtained  a  glimpse  be- 
yond the  curtain,  a  peep  by  the  dying  man  through 
the  door  left  ajar;  a  glimpse  at  his  future  destiny, 
a  mere  momentary  glance  at  the  spirit's  eternal 
home  ?  If  you  have  not,  you  have  been  denied  a 
great  blessing.  I  have  been  there,  I  have  heard 
the  words  and  seen  the  expression  of  the  returned 
spirit  that  had  passed  the  portals  and  gone  beyond 
the  curtain  that  separates  life  and  death,  seen  its 
future  home,  and  was  then  permitted  to  return 
and  say  goodbye  to  time  and  all  timely  things. 

The  sinner  and  the  Christian  meet  death  alike; 
w^ien  the  brain  is  not  diseased,  it  is  with  fear  and 
dread,  for  death  is  naturally  repulsive,  and  to  fear 
the  future  is  but  natural — to  the  manner  born.  Man 
may  put  on  a  bold  appearance  and  with  a  joke  and 
a  smiling  face  meet  death ;  but  it  is  all  put  on  and 


THE   SOUL. 


355 


is  only  put  on  before  the  portal  is  passed.  No  one 
ever  has,  after  he  has  had  a  view  beyond  the  cur- 
tain, treated  the  view  lightly.  When  a  Christian 
obtains  a  view  of  his  eternal  home,  all  within  him 
is  destroyed  but  bliss,  and  by  a  view  of  the  future 
home  of  the  ungodly  all  levity  is  consumed.  That 
this  rule  holds  universally  true  may  be  seen  by  all ; 
for  it  is  not  so  very  unfrequent  that  dying  persons 
are  permitted  to  pass  the  portals  and  see  beyond 
the  curtain  and  then  return. 

Let  me  relate  two  cases,  as  specimens.  I  think  it 
was  in  1828  my  neighbor.  Captain  A.,  died.  He 
was  popular  and  well-to-do,  financially;  during 
his  sickness  a  short  time  before  his  death,  while 
the  neighbors  were  in  his  room,  I  presume  his 
spirit  left  the  body;  when  he  returned  to  conscious- 
ness, a  change  had  come  over  the  spirit  of  his 
dreams,  he  was  no  longer  the  brave,  gentle,  social 
man ;  he  had  always  been  temperate,  as  far  as  I 
know,  and  I  had  lived  within  less  than  a  mile  of 
him,  and  I  think  he  was  noted  for  his  stoical 
bravery.  But  now  after  his  return,  that  bravery 
had  left  him,  and  torment  was  most  vividly  ex- 
pressed in  all  his  features.  He  seemed  to  be  other- 
wise rational,  but  he  saw,  or  thought  he  saw  devils 


356 


REMINISCENCES    AND   SERMONS. 


in  the  room,  waiting  to  take  him  home,  and  it  was 
in  vain  you  attempted  to  quiet  his  fears.     His  suf- 
fering, the  day  or  two  his  soul  remained  on  earth, 
language  is  too  tame  to  describe ;  but  let  us  draw 
a  curtain  over  the  scene,  and  bring  a  more  inter- 
esting one  to  view.     In  1876,  I  stood  by  the  bed 
of  a  dying  Christian.     A  short  time  before  death, 
the  soul  seemed  to  leave  the  body,  and  all  persons 
present  thought,  and  the  expression  was  uttered, 
that  death  had  claimed  its  victim ;  but  in  a  short 
time,  life  seemed  to  return,  and  the  sweet,  heaven- 
ly expression  and  the   angelic  bliss    depicted   in 
every  lineament  of  the  face,  no  language  can  de- 
scribe ;  there  was  a  person  present  who  was  taught, 
and  believed  it  too,  that  there  was  not  a  Christian  in 
the  Christian  church,  who  exclaimed:  ''lam  con- 
vinced that  it  is  a  Christian  dying.''    The  expression 
was  truly  unearthly,  nothing  in  the  whole  realm 
of  nature  half  so  beautiful,  half  so  sweet  as  the  ex- 
pression when  the  words  were  uttered:     "0  !  how 
beautiful,  0 !  how  bright,  do  you  not  see  the  angels 
there  waiting  tor  me?  0!  let  me  go  with  them,  all 
is  beautiful,  good  bye,"  and  the  spirit  took   its 
flight.     Reader,  that  scene  to  me  has  been  invalu- 
able; if  anything  had  been  needed  to  confirm  my 
faith,  that  was  all  that  could  have  been  required. 


THE   SOUL. 


357 


You  may  say  that  these  were  exceptional  cases, 
granted ;  but  no  one  ever  saw  these  scenes  reversed. 
There  never  was,  I  presume,  a  sinner  who,  after 
his  soul  had  left  the  body  and  returned,  gave  vent 
to  joy.  And  never  a  Christian  but  had  bliss  in 
vivid  colors  painted  in  living  light  on  every 
feature. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 


WHITHER   ARE   WB   TENDING? 

I  "WOULD  ask  in  all  seriousness,  whither  are  we 
tending?     I  read  a  notice  in  the  newspaper, 

that  at  the  town  of  S ,  on  a  given  day,  "The 

church  will  have  a  social,  after  which  there  will  be 
under  the  auspices  of  the  church,  a  well-conducted 
dance,  the  proceeds  will  go  to  the  Sunday  school." 
How  this  dance,  by  the  church,  for  the  Sunday 
school  terminated,  I  am  unable  to  say,  but  if  it 
was  well  conducted  as  proposed,  the  deacons 
should  have  been  floor  managers,  and  the  elder  or 
preacher  in  charge  should  have  opened  the  dance 
with  prayer,  and  the  fugleman  should  have  been 
the  fiddler,  and  the  dance  should  have  closed  with 
the  benediction. 

And  for  the  benefit  of  the  young  sisters,  the  aged 

ones  should  have  danced  the  "  highland  fling,"  and 

the  antiquated  brothers  should  have  instructed  the 

young  members  how  to   "cut  the  pigeon  wing" 

with  the  fantastic  toe. 

That  the   church   has  left  its  moorings  and  is 
(358) 


WHITHER   ARE    WE   TENDING? 


359 


rapidly  drifting  toward  the  coral  reef,  there  cannot 
be  a  doubt.     The  church  is  reaching  out  after  the 
Nicolaitanes,  trying  to  win  the  world  by  meeting 
the  world  half  way.     Stone  and  Campbell  saw  in 
the  distance  the  tidal  wave,  and  sounded  the  clarion 
notes  of  warning,  and  placed  themselves  in  front 
of  the  breakers ;  but  the  mighty  flood  received  but 
a  momentary  check.      Young  America  put  on  a 
few  more  pounds  of  steam,  and  every  obstacle  was 
surmounted,  and  John  Gilpin's  horse  never  made 
such  wonderful  strides  as  has  the  church  since  the 
giants  have  all  died.     Festivals,  where  slices  of 
cake  are  sold  for  ten  times  their  value,  but  then 
you  get  a  chance  for  the  ring  which  is  in  the  cake ; 
selling  letters  at  the  post  ofiice,  neck-tie  parties, 
lotteries,  kissing  bees,  all  and  more  to  get  money 
to  run  the  Sunday  school  and  the  church,  and  now 
comes  on  the  religious  dance.     Is  there  a  next  to 
come?    Well  did  the  apostle  say,  that  the  love  of 
money  was  the  root  of  all  evil. 

And  now,  my  preaching  brother,  give  ear  to  an 
old  brother,  who,  in  a  few  days  must  stand  before 
his  God  to  give  account  of  the  deeds  done  in  the 
body— and  before  he  goes,  he  would  gladly  write 
80  high  on  the  wall  that  all  preachers  might  see, 


360 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


and  read,  and  heed;  it  is,  **Put  on  the  brakes,  open 
the  safety  valves,"  for  we  are  on  the  down  grade. 

A  few  years  ago,  I  was  holding  a  protracted 
meeting  at  Hollister,  California.  I  was  favored 
with  a  large  audience,  and  although  but  one  per- 
son had  made  the  good  confession,  the  interest  was 
increasing  and  enthusiasm  was  manifested,  and  a 
prospect  of  doing  much  good,  when  a  committee, 
headed  by  the  leader  of  the  choir,  who  possessed 
more  music  than  religion,  wished  to  know  what 
I  thought  about  the  choir  doing  the  singing.  I  re- 
plied: I  thought  that  in  church  music  where  all 
the  members  sing,  each  member  should  do  his 
own  singing  and  praying.  At  this  the  committee 
scattered,  and  I  presume,  they  spread  the  news 
pretty  well  over  the  city,  as  at  night  the  house  was 
not  lit  up,  until  a  late  hour  when  brother  David 
Watson,  one  of  the  three  elders,  lit  up  the 
house.  The  choir  and  friends,  composing  about 
one  -  half  of  the  church,  failed  to  appear.  This 
choir  of  a  dozen  members  stood  up  by  the 
side  of  the  preacher  and  performed  diflScult 
pieces  of  church  music.  Brother  Watson  inform- 
ed me  that  the  choir  had  gathered  up  all  the  hymn 
books  that  they  might  not  be  bothered  with  the 


WHITHER   ARE   WE   TENDING? 


361 


audience  singing;  he  said  that  all  three  of  the 
elders  were  opposed  to  the  choir  and  in  favor  of 
the  audience  singing,  but  they  had  over-ruled  the 
elders,  and  it  had  given  the  church  trouble,  and 
that  they  had  ceased  to  have  preaching  regularly— 
and  now  the  choir  wanted  to  know  that  the  preach- 
er was  in  sympathy  with  them  ;  to  be  neutral, 
would  not  satisfy  them,  he  must  take  sides  with 
them,  otherwise  they  withheld  their  contribution, 
and  thus  clogged  the  wheels  of  the  church. 
Money  and  a  want  of  religion  was  at  the  root  of 
the  evil.  I  quietly  folded  my  tent  and  journeyed 
to  Giboy  where  I  held  a  successful  meeting. 


CHAPTER  XXVIIL 


DAVID   AND   SOLOMON   COMPARED. 

WHEN  I  am  weak,  I  am  strong/'  2  Cor.  xii:  10. 
David  relied  on  God  for  strength,  and 
when  caught  in  the  fowler's  snare  he  exclaimed, 
Psalm  cxxiv:  8,  "  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord,  who  made  heaven  and  earth." 

When  Solomon  found  himself  in  the  snare  of 
the  fowler,  he  relied  on  his  own  strength  and  said, 
Prov.  vi:  5,  ^'  Deliver  thyself  as  a  roe  from  the 
hand  of  the  hunter,  and  as  a  bird  from  the  hand 
of  the  fowler."  Solomon  afterwards  just  before 
his  death,  came  to  himself  and  saw  his  folly  and 
thus  wrote,  Eccle.  ix:  11:  "  The  race  is  not  to  the 
swift,  nor  the  battle  to  the  strong." 

Had  you  been  in  Jerusalem  2912  years  ago,  and 
seen  a  vast  army  of  veteran  soldiers,  perfectly  de- 
moralized, fleeing  for  their  lives  before  superior 
numbers,  two  illustrious  characters  in  the  throng 
would  have  claimed  your  attention.  The  one,  a 
man  whose  head  had  been  bleached  by  the  frosts 

of  64  winters,  with  head  covered,  and  bare  feet, 
(362) 


DAVID    AND    SOLOMON    COMPARED. 


363 


weeping  as  he  ascended  Mount  Olivet  with  a  slow 
and  measured  step.     That  hand  that  had  taken  a 
lion  by  the  beard  and  slain  him,  could  no  longer 
boast  of  such  wonderful  strength.     This   old  man 
had  a  wicked,  rebellious  son.     Under  the  Jewish 
law,  a  wicked,  rebellious  son  was  put  to   death 
without  mercy.     This  young  man,  2  Sam.  xv:  2, 
"rose  up  early  and  stood  by  the  way  of  the  gate, 
and  it  was  so,  that  when  any  man  that  had  a  con- 
troversy came  to  the  king  for  judgment,  he  called 
unto  him,  and  said,  Of  what  city  art  thou?  and  he 
said.  Thy  servant  is  one  of  the  tribes  of  Israel. 
And  he  said  unto  'him.  See  thy  matters  are  good 
and  right;  but  there  is  no  man  deputed  of  the 
king  to  hear  thee.      Oh,  that  I  were  made  judge 
in  the  land,  that  every  man  which  hath  any  suit  or 
cause  might  come  unto  me,  and  I  would  do  him 
justice.     When  any  man  came  nigh  to  him  to  do 
him  obeisance  he  put  forth  his  hand  and  took  him, 
and  kissed  him,  and  in  this  way  he  stole  the  hearts 
of  the  men  of  Israel,"  and  had  himself  proclaimed 
king  in  Hebron,  and  with  a  large  army  he  went 
down  to  Jerusalem   to   dethrone  his   father,  the 
king.     And  king  David  with  his  army  is  fleeing 
for  bis  life.     He  crosses  the  Jordan,  camps  in  the 


364 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


wilderness,  and  composes  the  following  psalm : 
"If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord  was  on  our  side,  now 
may  Israel  say :  If  it  had  not  been  the  Lord  who  was 
on  our  side,  when  men  rose  up  against  us,  then  they 
had  swallowed  us  up  quick  when  their  wrath  was 
kindled  against  us.  Then  the  waters  had  over- 
whelmed us,  the  stream  had  gone  over  our  soul. 
Then  the  proud  waters  had  gone  over  our  soul. 
Blessed  be  the  Lord  who  hath  not  given  us  a  prey  to 
their  teeth.  Our  soul  is  escaped  as  a  bird  out  of  the 
snare  of  the  fowlers ;  the  snare  is  broken,  and  we  are 
escaped.  Our  help  is  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  who 
made  heaven  and  earth."  What  child-like  faith, 
what  firm  confidence,  that  although  a  large  army 
headed  by  an  ambitious,  blood-thirsty  son,  that  they 
would  be  delivered,  for  ''  our  help  is  in  the  name  of 
the  Lord,  who  made  the  heavens  and  the  earth." 
This  unshaken  faith  in  the  Lord  in  the  darkest  hour, 
this  want  of  dependence  in  his  own  strength,  or  in 
the  strength  of  the  army,  but  his  entire  dependence 
on  the  Lord  and  that  he  would  deliver,  was  the 
great  redeeming  quality  in  David,  and  above  all 
other  things,  gave  him  favor  with  the  Lord.  He 
was  unwilling  to  measure  swords  with  the  old 
fowler,  the  wily  adversary  of  man.  When  the  devil 


DAVID   AND    SOLOMON   COMPARED. 


365 


cast  his  web  around  him,  like  a  child  he  came  run- 
ning, crying  to  the  Lord  to  break  the  fowler's  net. 
lie  felt  unable  to  cope  with  the  adversary,  but  he 
felt  that  he  could  rely  on  the  Lord  as  a  great  tower 
of  strength  in  which  he  could  safely  meet  an  army. 
Show  me  a  man  that  is  puffed  up  with  confidence 
in  his  own  strength,  and  I  will  show  you  a  speci- 
men of  fragility.     All  along  down  the  stream  of 
time,  God  has  been  trying  to  teach  man,  that  for 
strength  he  must  look  away  from  self  to  the  Lord. 
But  I  said  that  in    the    demoralized  army,  that 
were  fleeing  from  Jerusalem,  there  were  two  per- 
sons of  note ;  besides  the  king,  the  other  was  a 
boy  of  ten  summers.      Sin  had  not  yet,  with  her 
somber  pencil,  touched  the  features  of  that  noble 
boy;  no  Grecian  chisel  ever  waked  from  out  the 
sleeping  marble,  a  being  of  such  exquisite  beauty 
and  faultless  form;  his  broad,  expansive  forehead, 
his  large,  bright  eyes,  fit  windows  to  a  mind  whose 
grasp  for  highly  cultured  intellect,  we  very  seldom 
if  ever  see  equaled  in  one  po  young.     As  nimble  as 
the  roe  of  the  mountain,  and  as  gay  as  the  lark,  yet 
now  with  a  solemn  step,  and  a  dark  shadow  over  his 
face,  he  moves  slowly  along  and  wept  as  he  went. 
Nine  years  have  come  and  gone,  and  the  youth  of 


366 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


nineteen  steps  out  on  the  carpet  and  is  crowned 
king  of  one  of  the  most  populous,  wealthy,  and 
intellectual  kingdoms  on  the  earth.  He  prayed 
for  wisdom,  "  for  an  understanding  heart,  that  I 
may  discern  between  good  and  bad,"  and  God 
said,  *'I  have  done  according  to  thy  words,  that 
there  was  none  like  thee,  neither  after  thee  shall 
any  rise  like  thee  in  wisdom."  The  old  king  had 
said  to  this  young  king,  "  Shew  thyself  a  man, 
and  keep  the  charge  of  the  Lord  thy  God,  to  walk 
in  his  ways,  to  keep  his  statutes,  and  his  com- 
mandments, and  his  judgments,  and  his  testi- 
monies, as  it  is  written  in  the  law  of  Moses,  that 
thou  mayest  prosper."  And  the  charge  was  well 
kept.  For  eleven  years  the  kingdom  flourished  as  it 
had  never  done;  the  battle  cry,  the  trump,  the 
drum,  and  the  mournful  sound  of  the  barbarous 
horn  were  never  once  heard  in  the  land.  During 
these  years,  the  king  erected  a  house  for  the  Lord 
God  to  dwell  in.  It  was  much  the  finest  building 
the  world  had  ever  seen,  and  the  Lord  God  showed 
his  approval  by  visibly  taking  possession  of  that 
beautiful  temple.  But  man  must  have  the  lesson 
once  more  taught  him  that  in  the  Lord  alone 
strength  is  to  be  found,  that  he  must  fall  who  de- 


DAVID   AND   SOLOMON   COMPARED. 


367 


pends  on  self.  The  king  was  thirty  years  old. 
of  full  age  and  ripe  experience,  when  the  fowler 
whispered  in  his  ear :  "  Make  affinity  with  the 
king  of  Egypt  and  take  his  daughter  for  a  queen ; 
it  will  increase  your  power,  and  from  that  country 
you  can  bring  ivory,  apes,  and  peacocks."  But 
the  king  replied :  "  I  cannot ;  the  Lord  has  said 
that  we  must  not  make  affinity  or  marry  into 
other  nations,  lest  we  be  led  to  serve  their  gods." 
"  That  is  true,  but  you  have  sufficient  strength  to 
resist  the  temptation ;  you  are  not  a  child  to  be  led 
astray,  and  then  too,  in  this  way  you  can  do  much 
good  by  teaching  them  there  is  but  one  God;  you 
may  deal  a  death  blow  to  idolatry."  And  by  de- 
grees he  was  persuaded  until  the  first  short  move 
was  made — and  the  most  difficult  of  all,  the  first 
step  was  taken.  It  was  then  an  easy  task  to  in- 
duce the  king  to  likewise  take  a  queen  from  the 
Phcenecians.  In  time  the  king  came  to  himself 
and  saw  himself  confined  by  the  silken  web,  and 
the  battle  between  man  and  the  fowler  is  once 
more  being  fought;  when  the  king  awoke,  he  ex- 
claimed :  "  Give  not  sleep  to  thine  eyes,  nor  slum- 
ber to  thine  eyelids,  deliver  thyself  as  a  bird  from 
the  hand  of  the  fowler."     Ko   giant  ever  struck 


368 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


such  heavy  blows  to  break  the  snare  and  separate 
the  fowler's  web — ^but  he  was  helple.^s  as  a  child. 
His  eyes  found  sleep,  and  his  eyelids  slumber  ere 
the  king  was  delivered  from  this  net.  It  was  not 
until  the  lesson  was  taught  that  man  has  no 
strength  within  himself.  It  was  then  that  he 
cried  to  the  Lord  God  for  help,  and  wrote  for  our 
admonition,  "  The  race  is  not  to  the  swift,  nor  the 
battle  to  the  strong."  "To  fear  God  and  keep  his 
commandments,  for  this  is  the  whole  duty  of 
man."  This  the  king  informs  us  is  the  conclusion 
of  the  whole  matter.  It  was  not  the  first  time  when 
in  conflict  with  man,  the  fowler  had  come  oft'  vic- 
torious. Our  first  parents,  fresh  from  perfection's 
mould,  fell  before  the  fowler's  snare  and  it  requir- 
ed divine  blood  to  extricate  them. 

And  the  patient  man  of  Uz,  relying  on  self,  was 
about  to  fall,  when  he  exclaimed,  like  the  apostle 
Peter,  "Lord,  help  or  I  shall  perish."  And  the 
sweet  singer  of  Israel  was  delivered,  not  by  man's 
strength,  "Blessed  be  the  hand  of  the  Lord  who 
has  broken  the  snare  of  the  fowler  and  caused  us 
to  escape."  These  battles  have  been  fought,  and 
the  result  transmitted  for  our  admonition.  Let 
us  profit  thereby. 


DAVID    AND    SOLOMON    COMPARED. 


369 


When  David  fled  before  Absalom,  he  crossed  the 
Jordan  and  traveled  for  seventy-five  miles  over  the 
desert  in  a  north-east  direction,  making  for  the 
walled  city  of  Mahanaim.  It  is  said  that  on 
this  occasion  he  composed  the  124th  psalm  and 
the  twenty-third  psalm.  What  a  beautiful, 
child-like  confidence  is  cropping  out  in  this 
twenty-third  psalm,  and  what  unshaken  confi- 
dence that  the  Lord  is  guiding  him.  If  I  under- 
stood Brother  Campbell  aright,  it  was  that  the 
Lord  was  leading  him  in  his  daily  life;  he,  like 
David,  trusted  a  special  providence.  When  David 
had  traveled  north-east  for  many  a  mile  over  hill 
and  vale,  where  not  a  tree  was  to  be  seen,  and 
bands  of  sheep  were  following  shepherds,  by 
muddy  waters  that  ran  down  from  oft'  the  steep  hills, 
he  wrote:  "  The  Lord  is  my  shepherd  I  shall  not 
want.  He  maketh  me  to  lie  down  in  green  pas- 
tures: [not  dried  up  like  these  pastures]  he  lead- 
eth  me  beside  the  still  waters,  [not  like  these 
rapid  and  muddy  streams].  He  restoreth  my  soul : 
he  leadeth  me  [as  a  child  led  by  a  father]  in  the 
paths  of  righteousness  for  his  name's  sake.  Yea, 
though  I  walk  through  the  valley  of  the  shadow 

of  death,  I  will  fear  no  evil:  for  thou  art  wdth  me; 
24 


370 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


thy  rod  and  thy  staft*  they  comfort  me.  Thou  pre- 
parest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 
enemies :  thou  anointest  my  head  with  oil;  my  cup 
runneth  over.  Surely  goodness  and  mercy  shall 
follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life:  and  I  will  dwell 
in  the  house  of  the  Lord  forever."  In  the  3rd 
verse,  the  psalmist  says,  "He  leadeth  me."  As 
that  country  is  barren,  timber  material  for  a 
corral  for  sheep  has  to  be  brought  from  a  distance. 
Several  shepherds  will  unite  and  build  one  corral 
for  several  bands  of  sheep ;  when  of  a  morning 
the  door  is  opened  and  the  sheep  are  let  out  of  the 
corral,  the  shepherds  start  off*  in  different  directions, 
each  man  having  his  range;  and  each  sheep  knows 
the  peculiar  tone  of  its  shepherd's  voice;  they  will 
all  separate  out  after  their  own  shepherd,  who  goes 
before  his  sheep  and  they  follow  his  voice  until  at 
night  he  leads  them  into  the  corral  to  protect  thom 
from  the  wolf. 

In  the  5th  verse,  David  says:  "Thou  pre- 
parest  a  table  before  me  in  the  presence  of  mine 
enemies."  And  did  the  Lord  prepare  a  table  for 
David?  Read  2  Samuel  xvii:  27-29,  "And  it 
came  to  pass,  when  David  was  come  to  Mahanaim, 
that  Shobi  the  son  of  Nahash  of  Kabbah  of  the 


DAVID    AND    SOLOMON    COMPARED. 


371 


children  of  Ammon,  and  Machir  the  son  of  Am- 
miel  of  Lo-debar,  and  Barzillai  the  Gileadite  of 
Eogelim,  brought  beds,  and  basins,  and  earthen 
vessels,  and  wheat,  and  barley,  and  flour,  and 
parched  corn,  and  beans,  and  lentiles,  and  parched 
pulse,  and  honey,  and  butter,  and  sheep,  and  cheese 
of  kine,  for  David,  and  for  the  people  that  were 
with  him,  to  eat :  for  they  said,  The  people  is  hun- 
gry, and  weary,  and  thirsty,  in  the  wilderness." 

God,  by  his  Spirit,  moved  on  the  hearts  of  these 
men  and  they  furnished  royal  fare  for  David  and 
his  men.  I  suppose  it  was  not  during  the  grape 
harvest,  as  they  are  not  mentioned,  although  for 
ten  months  in  the  year  they  were  a  very  conmion 
article  of  food  in  that  country.  And  David  adds 
in  the  6th  and  last  verse,  "Surely  goodness  and 
mercy  shall  follow  me  all  the  days  of  my  life :  and 
I  will  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  forever." 

And  the  Lord  did  preserve  and  protect  him,  and 
brought  him  back  to  Jerusalem,  and  goodness  and 
mercy  followed  him  all  the  days  of  his  life  and  he 
dwelt  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  as  long  as  he  lived. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 


LARGE   OAKS   FROM   LITTLE    ACORNS   GROW. 

Rom.  xii:  16,    "Mind  not  high  things,  butcondescend  to  men 
of  low  estate." 

PROBABLY  the  apostle  Paul  in  no  other  in- 
stance ever  gave  advice  that  has  received  so 
little  attention.     We  know  from  observation  that  it 
is  the  man  that  looks  after  the  nickels  that  pos- 
sesses the  dollars.     Yet  men  are  all  the  time  over- 
looking the  dimes  in  search  of  twenty-dollar  gold 
pieces,  that  are  but  seldom  found.     And  so  it  is  in 
a  religions  point  of  view.     Men,  with  folded  arms 
stand  looking  on  the  stream  of  life  waiting  for 
some  grand  opening  tliat  they  may  perform  some 
wonderful  work,  and  because  they  cannot,  at  one 
stride,   reach  the  summit  of  the  mountain,  they 
live  and  die  at  its  foot.     They  forget  that  as  it  is  in 
nature  so  it  is  in   religion.     They  know  that  it  is 
not  the  boy  of  genius  but  the  one  of  application 
that  eventually  occupies  a  high  niche  in  the  temple 
of  fame;  they  know  that  Sir  Isaac  Newton,  like 
other  boys,  had  to  learn  his  letters,  and  that  it  was 
(372) 


LARGE  OAKS  FROM  LITTLE  ACORNS  GROW.   373 

by  slow,  short,  laborious  steps  that  he  arrived  at 
fame's  dizzy  mountain  peak,  while  boys  of  more 
genius,  perhaps  more  gifted,  yet  unwilling  the 
drudgery  to  take,  lived  and  died  unintellectual 
skeletons,  and  all  nature  teaches  us  the  same  great 
lesson,  yet  men  neglect  to  apply  the  rule  to  religion. 
And  man  continues  to  mind  high  things,  looking 
over  men  of  low  estate.  This  ought  not  so  to  be. 
While  the  poor  and  oppressed  all  around  us  are 
needing  our  sympathy  and  our  help  we  are  looking 
away  from  home  to  perform  some  great  event,  that 
may  be  sounded  on  the  trump  of  fame,  and  we 
forget 

How  fast  the  feathered  feet  of  time 

Their  silent  course  pursue 

Nor  swifter  flies  the  bird  sublime, 

Nor  softer  falls  the  dew. 

With  outspread  wings  the  eagle  soars 

To  his  airy  nest  on  high. 

But  time  seeks  with  fleeter  wing 

Thy  shore,  unknown  eternity. 

Oh!  then,  dear  friends,  the  moments  seize, 

Arrest  them  in  their  flight; 

Time,  while  we  linger 

Vanishes,  quick  as  the  glancing  light. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 


WHAT   MUST   I   DO   TO   BE   SAVED. 

IE"  these  latter  days  we  frequently  hear  persons 
inquire,  "Are you  saved?"  They  seem  to  think 
there  is  nothing  special  for  man  to  do  but  plead 
with  God,  and  in  his  good  pleasure  he  will  lasso 
the  sinner  and  place  something  in  his  heart  in- 
forming him  that  he  is  saved.  I  find  no  such 
teaching  in  the  word  of  God.  According  to  the 
scriptures,  God  universally  has,  from  Adam  down 
to  the  present  time  addressed  man's  intelligence, 
saying,  "  You  do  this  and  I  will  reward  you ;  if  you 
neglect  to  do  it,  I  will  punish  you."  And  reward 
or  punishment  has  always  followed  obedience  or 
neglect;  there  is  not  an  instance  in  the  scriptures 
where  anything  but  obedience  was  considered  a 
test  of  loyalty,  or  obtained  God's  blessing,  and 
there  is  not  an  instance  where  anything  but  dis- 
obedience received  punishment.  God  asks  not 
about  men's  feelings,  but  he  has  universally  given 
man  something  for  him  to  do.  Saul  of  Tarsus 
understood  this  universal  law  when  he  inquired, 
(374) 


1^.  F.  Coulter. 


WHAT  MUST  I  DO  TO  BE  SAVED. 


375 


"  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have  me  to  do  ?"  The  three 
thousand  on  the  day  of  Pentecost  understood  that 
something  had  to  be  done  when  they  cried  out, 
"  Men  and  brethren,  what  shall  we  do  ?"  Luke  iii: 
10,  "  And  the  people  asked  him,  saying.  What 
shall  we  do  then  ?"  John  vi:  28,  "  What  shall  we 
do  ?"  Isaiah  i:  16, 17,  "  Cease  to  do  evil  and  learn  to 
do  well."  Verse  19,  "  If  ye  be  obedient,  ye  shall 
eat  the  good  of  the  land."  Acts  v:  32,  God  hath 
given  the  Holy  Spirit  to  them  that  obey  him. 
Acts  xi:  14,  "  Who  shall  tell  thee  words,  whereby 
thou  and  all  thy  house  shall  be  saved."  James  i: 
21,  The  word  is  able  to  save  your  souls.  James 
ii:  24,  "Ye  see  then,  how  by  works  a  man  is  jus- 
tified and  not  by  faith  only."  Acts  xvi:  30,  "  What 
must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  And  so  it  is  all  through 
the  Bible,  men  are  saved  for  obeying  and  damned 
for  disobeying.  Then  let  us  see  what  we  must  do 
to  be  saved.  We  should  go  to  the  scriptures  and 
answer  in  the  language  of  inspiration.  It  is  the 
only  plan  by  which  we  can  be  sure  we  are  correct. 
And  then  too,  we  must  look  at  the  condition  of 
the  person  asking  the  question.  Paul  directs 
Timothy  to  study  that  he  may  rightly  divide  the 
word  of  truth.     Would  it  be  proper  at  the  present 


376 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


day  to  tell  the  sinner  to  examine  the  law  given 
from  Sinai,  and  obey  it?  Certainly  not;  for  two 
reasons.  First,  that  law  was  given  to  the 
Jews  only,  and  then  too,  Christ  said  that  the  gos- 
pel must  first  be  preached  at  Jerusalem,  and  at 
that  time  it  had  not  been  preached.  Well  let  us 
try  again ;  2  Peter  i:  5,  "  Giving  all  diligence,  add 
to  your  faith  virtue;  and  to  virtue,  knowledge;  and 
to  knowledge,  temperance;  and  to  temperance, 
patience;  and  to  patience,  godliness;  and  to  godli- 
ness, brotherly  kindness  ;  and  to  brotherly  kind- 
ness, charity.  For  if  these  things  be  in  you,  and 
abound,  they  make  you  that  ye  shall  neither  be 
barren  nor  unfruitful  in  the  knowledge  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ." 

How  can  you  say  that  this  is  not  a  proper 
answer  to  the  sinner's  question ^  "  What  must  I  do 
to  be  saved."  It  is  the  language  of  the  apostle 
Peter,  and  he  is  speaking  thirty  years  after  the 
gospel  had  been  preached  at  Jerusalem.  That  is 
all  true,  but  the  apostle  Peter  wrote  to  Christians 
and  not  to  sinners,  as  you  may  see  by  the  first 
verse  of  this  chapter ;  he  there  says :  ''  Simon  Peter, 
a  servant  and  an  apostle  of  Jesus  Christ,  to  them 
that  have   obtained  like  precious  faith   with   us, 


WHAT    MUST   I   DO    TO    BE    SAVED. 


377 


through  the  righteousness  of  God  and  our 
Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  so  you  see  it  would  not 
be  "  rightly  dividing  the  word  of  truth." 

Where  then  can  we  go  to  find  this  question  ask- 
ed by  a  sinner,  and  answered  by  an  apostle  ?  For  the 
law  for  the  pardon  of  sin,  under  the  Christian  dis- 
pensation, has  never  been  changed.     There  is  only 
one  book  given  to   show   how    this   question    is 
answered ;  only  one  book  was  ever  written  to  show 
how  sinners  were  made  Christians.     That  book  is 
called  "  The  Acts  of  the  Apostles."     Then  I  must 
go   alone  to   that    b9ok    to    have    the    question 
answered  in  Bible  language,  and  no  other  language 
would  be  proper.     Then  I  turn  to   Acts  xxii:  16, 
"  Arise  and  be  baptized  and  wash  away  thy  sins." 
Tou  say  this  is  not  a  correct  answer;  why  not? 
It  was  the  answer  to  a  sinner  who  wished  to  know 
what  he  must  do.     That  sinner  was  in  a  different 
condition,  perhaps,  and  to  properly  divide  the  word, 
we  must  look  at  the  condition  of  the  person  asking 
the  question.     Now  a  sinner  occupies  one  of  the 
three  following  conditions,     First,  he  is  without 
faith.     Second,  he  has  faith  but  has  not  repented. 
Thirdly,  he  has  faith,  and  has  repented,  but  has 
not  been  baptized.     In  every  case  in  the  "  Acts  of 


378 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


the  Apostles,"  the  sinner  to  be  pardoned  and  be- 
come a  member  of  Christ's  family  had  to  take  three 
steps.  First,  he  must  obtain  faith  by  evidence. 
Second,  he  must  repent,  turn  from  his  sins,  and 
third,  he  must  be  baptized.  Every  case  recorded 
begins  with  faith,  and  the  sinner  must  be  baptized 
before  pardoned.  If  a  sinner  should  ask  me  what 
he  should  do,  I  would  go  to  the  "Acts  of  the 
Apostles"  and  lind  a  sinner  in  like  condition  ask- 
ing tlie  question,  and  I  would  answer  in  the 
hinguage  of  an  apostle.  If  he  was  without  faith, 
I  would  find  a  person  without  faith,  and  answer  in 
the  language  of  an  apostle,  and  then  I  could  not 
be  wrong.  In  Acts  xvi:  30, 1  would  find  just  such 
a  case,  and  the  apostle  answers  the  question  :  "  Sirs, 
what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  And  the  apostle 
answered,  "  Believe  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and 
thou  shalt  be  saved  and  thy  house,  and  they  spake 
unto  him  the  word  of  the  Lord,  and  to  all  that 
were  in  his  house.  And  he  took  them  the  same 
hour  of  the  night  and  washed  their  stripes,  and 
was  baptized,  he,  and  all  his  straightway;  and 
w^hen  he  had  brought  them  into  his  house  he  set 
meat  before  them,  and  rejoiced,  believing  in  God 
with  all  his  house."     There  were  not  any  infants 


WHAT   MUST   I   DO    TO    BE    SAVED. 


370 


there;  for  they  all  believed  and  rejoiced.  Second. 
Suppose  a  person  possessing  faith  should  ask  the 
question,  "  What  must  I  do  to  be  saved?"  it  would 
be  superfluous  to  tell  him  to  believe,  but  I  would 
find  in  Acts  ii:  38,  where  a  whole  multitude,  having 
faith,  asking,  "  AVhat  shall  we  do  ?"  The  apostle 
did  not  tell  them  to  believe,  but  he  said,  "  Repent 
and  be  baptized  every  one  of  you,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ  for  the  remission  of  sins,  and  ye  shall 
receive  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost,"  and  we  are 
told  that  "  they  that  gladly  received  the  word  were 
baptized." 

There  was  not  one  infant  among  the  three  thou- 
sand, for  we  are  told  that  they  all  gladly  received 
the  word.  But  third;  suppose  a  person  having 
faith,  and  having  repented  of  his  sins,  should  ask 
the  question,  ''What  must  I  do?"  I  would  go  to 
the  "  Acts  of  the  Apostles  "  and  find  a  sinner  in 
like  condition,  asking  the  question,  and  I  would 
answer  in  the  language  of  an  apostle,  for  it  is  a 
fearful  thing  to  add  to  or  take  from  the  word  of  God 
I  would  find  just  such  a  case  in  Acts  xxii:  16. 
Ananias  said  to  Saul,  who  had  faith  and  had  re- 
pented, "  Why  tarriest  thou  ?  Arise  and  be  bap- 
tized and  wash  away  thy  sins."     Or,  I  w^ould  find 


380 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


a  like  condition  recorded  in  Acts  x:  47.  "  Can  any 
man  forbid  water  that  these  should  not  be  baptized?" 
Cornelius  feared  God  with  all  his  house,  he  gave 
much  alms  to  the  poor  and  prayed  always,  yet  the 
angel  told  him  to  send  to  Joppa  for  one  Simon 
Peter,  who  would  tell  him  words,  ''  whereby  thou 
and  all  thy  house  shall  be  saved."  Acts  xi:  14.  It 
appears  from  this  that  Cornelius  was  in  an  unsaved 
state,  and  was  saved  by  w^ords  that  Peter  told  him. 
If  you  wish  to  see  the  words  that  Peter  told  him, 
turn  to  Acts  x:  47.  A  modern  evangelist  would 
say, ''Pray  on,  brother  Paul,  and  you,  Cornelius, 
the  Lord  will,  after  a  while,  speak  peace  to  your 
soul."  They  hesitate  as  little  to  change  the  word  of 
God,  as  they  would  to  change  a  receipt  in  a  last 
year's  almanac. 

The  cases  given  in  the  Acts  of  Apostles,  all 
agree;  faith,  repentance,  baptism  for  the  remission 
of  sins,  and  then  you  must  suffer  yourselves  to  be 
led  by  the  Spirit,  and  work  out  your  own  salvation 
with  fear  and  trembling.  The  sinner  is  informed 
in  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles  how  to  become  a 
Christian;  the  remainder  of  the  New  Testament  is 
to  show  him  how  a  Christian  must  live,  to  inherit 
eternal  life. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 


THE   NAME   CHRISTIAN. 

Eph.  iii:  15.  **0f  whom  the  whole  family  in  heaven  and 
earth  is  named." 

1  Peter  iv:  16.  "Yet  if  any  man  suffer  as  a  Christian,  let  hmi 
not  be  ashamed:  but  let  him  glorify  God  on  this  behalf."  Verse 
14,  "If  ye  be  reproached  for  the  name  of  Christ,  happy  are  ye." 

James  ii:  7.  "Do  they  not  blaspheme  that  worthy  name  by 
which  ye  are  called?" 

Acts  xi:  26.     "The  disciples  were  first  called  Christians  at 

Antioch." 

HERE  for  the  first  .time,  the  Jew  and  the  Gen- 
tile, hand  in  hand,  became  obedient  to  the 
gospel,  they  having  been  planted  in  the  family  of 
God ;  God  gave  them  the  family  name,  according 
to  his  promise  made  seven  hundred  and  eighty- 
five  years  before,  and  recorded  by  the  prophet, 
Amos  ix:  11, 12,  "  In  that  day  will  I  raise  up  the  tab- 
ernacle of  David  that  is  fallen  ....  that  they 
may  possess  the  remnant  of  Edom,  and  of  all  the 
heathen,  which  are  called  by  my  name,  saith  the 
Lord  that  doeth  this." 

Jer.  vii:  11,   "  This  house  which  is  called  by  my 

name  ....  saith  the  Lord." 

r381) 


382 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


Jer.  xiv:  9,  "  0  Lord,  art  in  the  midst  of  us,  and 
we  are  called  by  thy  name.'' 

Isaiah  Ixv:  15,  "  And  ye  shall  leave  your  name 
for  a  curse  unto  my  chosen;  for  the  Lord  God 
shall  slay  thee,  and  call  his  servants  by  another 
name." 

Acts  xxvi:  28,  "  Then  Agrippa  said  unto  Paul, 
almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Christian." 

1  Cor.  i:  13,  "  Is  Christ  divided  ?  Was  Paul 
crucified  for  you  ?  or  were  ye  baptized  in  the  name 
of  Paul  ?"  Paul  says,  the  whole  family  on  earth 
and  in  heaven  is  named.  And  could  we  have  a 
more  glorious  or  a  more  compj^ehensive  name,  than 
Christian  ?  Are  we  disciples,  it  is  because  we  are 
Christians;  are  we  brethren,  it  is  because  we  are 
Christians;  and  if  saints,  it  emanates  from  our 
being  Christians.  For  ye  are  all  children  of  God 
by  faith  in  Christ  Jesus,  and  if  children,  then 
heirs,  heirs  with  Christ.  All  things  are  yours,  for 
you  are  Christ's.  Surely  to  encourage  us  to  noble 
deeds,  the  name  Christian  can  do  more  than  any 
other  name.  Do  you  say  it  is  not  definite  enough, 
that  it  is  too  comprehensive,  that  Christian  in- 
cludes all  the  followers  of  Christ,  that  men  with 
diverse  opinions  would  be  united  together,  that  we 


THE   NAME   CHRISTIAN. 


383 


must  have  names  expressive  of  our  opinions,  that 
those  only  who  have  like  views  can  come  together. 
There  is  your  mistake;  the  scriptures  never  con- 
templated Christians  having  the  same  views  or 
opinions ;  they  never  did,  and  they  never  will  vv^hile 
tabernacling  in  the  flesh  ;  they  had  diverse  opinions 
in  the  days  of  the  apostles.  Jesus  prayed  that  his 
followers  might  remain  united,  that  the  world 
might  be  converted;  and  for  a  period  of  more  tlian 
three  hundred  years,  the  Christians  with  their  diff- 
erent opinions,  did  remain  united;  and  might  have 
remained  united,  had  there  not  have  been  creeds 
gotten  up  and  human  names  assumed  by  difterent 
parties.  "While  they  all  retained  simply  the  name 
Christian  they  remained  united;  and  to-day,  if  the 
sects  would  drop  their  human  names,  and  their 
human  creeds,  the  Christians  would  come  together 
again. 

Do  you  say  there  is  nothing  in  a  name  ?  Call  you 
a  dirty  dog,  and  a  great  liar,  and  you  would  con- 
clude that  there  was  something  in  a  name.  The 
name  is  the  representative  for  the  man,  and  it  is 
taken  as  such.  Take  an  order  to  the  bank,  for  a 
thousand  dollars,  and  the  order  is  rejected,  or  it  is 
cashed  according  to  the  name  it  bears.     Give  a 


384 


REMINISCENCES   AND   SERMONS. 


THE   NAME    CHRISTIAN. 


385 


dog  a  bad  iiaine,  and  you  had  better  kill  him. 
What  a  burning  shame  that  men  have  denied 
Christ's  name,  by  substituting  therefor  men's 
names;  as  Lutherans,  the  followers  of  Luther; 
Calvinists,  the  followers  of  Calvin ;  Wesleyans,  the 
followers  of  Wesley.  Was  Luther  crucified  for 
you,  or  were  you  baptized  in  the  name  of  Calvin  ? 
And  some  have  called  themselves  from  their  gov- 
erning body,  as  Presbyterians,  those  governed  by  a 
Presbytery;  Congregationalists,  those  governed  by 
a  single  congregation,  etc.  etc.,  and  thus  men 
have  gloried  in  their  shame. 

Had  you  been  at  the  battle  of  Lodi,  you  would 
have  thought  there  was  something  in  a  name;  the 
enemy  were  stationed  at  the  bridge,  with  shot  and 
shell,  ready  to  play  upon  anyone  that  attempted  to 
cross  it ;  as  soon  as  Napoleon's  army  entered  the 
the  bridge,  the  cannon  swept  them  ofi*.  Seeing  it 
w^as  certain  death,  those  veterans  halted,  their 
officers  were  unable  to  urge  them  on  to  certain 
death.  Napoleon  comprehending  the  situation, 
shouted,  "  Napoleon  says  take  the  bridge,"  and 
but  seldom,  if  ever,  was  such  a  sight  seen  ;  the 
army  wildly  rushed  for  the  bridge,  they  fell  like 
grain  before  the  scythe,  blood  flowed  like  water, 


and  men  climbing  over  the  slain,  seemed  anxious 
to  die;  a  breastwork  of  dead  bodies  was  formed 
and  the  bridge  was  taken. 

2  Cor.  xi:  2,  "  I  have  espoused  you  to  one  hus- 
band, that  I  may  present  you'  a  chaste  virgin  to 
Christ."  Isaiah  Ixii:  5,  "  As  a  young  man  marrieth 
a  virgin,  so  shall  thy  sons  marry  thee."  Gal.  iii: 
27,  "  For  as  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized 
into  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ."  I  repeat  it,  that 
for  three  hundred  years,  Christians  were  called  by 
no  other  name  than  by  that  which  brought  them 
into  the  family  of  God.- 

Rom.  vii:  4,  You  are  married  to  Christ.  If 
the  church  is  married  to  Christ,  wnll  the  bride  re- 
fuse to  be  called  by  her  husband's  name  ?  or  will 
she  lose  sight  of  her  husband's  name,  by  tacking 
on  some  other  name  with  his?  If  a  letter  was  ad- 
dressed to  the  preacher  of  the  Christian  church  in 
your  town,  and  it  was  handed  out  to  a  preacher 
and  he  should  return  it,  saying :  "  it  is  not  addressed 
to  me,  but  to  that  other  preacher,  our  church  is 
not  known  by  the  name  of  the  Christian  church; 
I  must  not  open  the  letter  for  I  know  that  it  is  not 
for  me."     Oh  !  Shame  where  is  thy  blush  ? 

Rev.  iii:  8,  "  I  have  set  before  thee  an  open  door, 
25 


386 


REMINISCENCES   AND    SERMONS. 


and  no  man  can  shut  it:  for  thou  hast  a  little 
strength,  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not 
denied  my  name."      Acts  v:  41,     They  suftered 

for  his  name. 

No  loving  wife  will  refuse  her  husband's  name, 
and  no  one  would  censure  Samuel  Dawson  for  be- 
coming offended  at  his  wife,  on  returning  from 
California  to  find  that  she  had  assumed,  and  was 
known  by  the  name  of  Jones,  for  that  old  bach- 
elor that  lives  on  the  creek.  It  mattered  not  if  she 
did  add  Dawson  to  it.  Mary  Jones  Dawson  did 
not  sound  euphonious. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 


CHRISTIAN    UNION. 

MEETING  for  the  purpose  of  contriving 
some  basis  upon  which  the  Cliristian 
churches  may  be  united,  and  with  an  object  of  pro- 
moting more  harmony  in  their  work,  and  more 
love  among  their  members,  was  held  at  Perry  ville, 
Calilbrnia,  on  the  31st  of  September,  1890. 

Present,  a  Presbyterian,  a  Methodist,  a  Baptist, 
and  a  Disciple. 

Brother  Jones  of  the  Presbyterian  persuasion, 
said,  "Brethren,  I  cannot  see  how  it  is  possible  for 
us  to  form  any  sort  of  a  basis  upon  which  we  can 
unite,  yet  these  meetings  produce  brotherly  love, 
and  we  get  to  understand  each  other  better.  I 
now  move  that  Mr.  Smith  who  is  a  disbeliever,  act 
as  our  moderator.  The  motion  carried.  Mr. 
Smith,  "  Gentlemen,  I  thank  you  for  the  honor. 
I  am,  however,  not  a  disbeliever  but  only  a  doubt- 
er, for  I  never  have  given  the  subject  of  tlie  au- 
thenticity of  the  scri|)tiires  a  thorough  examina- 
tion.    I  v/as,  at  an  early  ago,  taught  by  a  Chris- 

(387) 


388 


REMINISCENCBS   AND   SERMONS, 


tian  mother  that  the  Bible  was  the  word  of  God, 
and  when  I  pushed  my  frail  barque  from  youth's 
pebbled  shore,  and  launched  out  into  a  cold  and 
friendless  world  to  grapple  with  my  fellow  man, 
in  the  pursuit  of  fame,  wealth,  and  honor,  I  felt 
it  to  be  my  first  duty  to  be  adopted  into  the  family 
of  God ;  in  this  way  I  hoped  to  place  safeguards 
around  me,  that  would  keep  me  from  the  snares 
of  the   devil.      I  went  with  my  brother  to  his 

church  to  hear  you,  Mr.  P .     I  was  much  pleas- 

ed  with  your  sermon  ;  it  was  on  Christian  union ; 
you  read  the  17th  chapter  of  John,  and  dwelt  upon 
Jesus  praying  to  his  Father,  that,  his  followers 
might  remain  united;  that  the  world  might  be 
converted.  And  you  showed  that  it  was  only 
opinions  that  divided  the  Protestant  church,  and 
that  opinions  were  no  part  of  the  gospel. 

On  the  next  Sunday,  I  went  with  my  sister  to 

her  church,  to  hear  you,  Mr.  M ,  and  you  read 

the  17th  verse  of  the  16th  chapter  of  Romans,  "I 
beseech  you,  brethren,  mark  them  that  cause  divi- 
sions among  you  .  .  .  and  avoid  them,  for  they 
serve  not  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ."  Your  bitter  de- 
nunciation of  those  that  cause  divisions,  and  your 
prayer  for  union  pleased  me.    You  closed  by  point- 


CHRISTIAN    UNION. 


389 


ing  out  errors  in  Mr.  P 's  confession  of  faith. 

You  said  that  in  some  instances  it  conflicted  with 
the  Bible ;  you  then  held  up  the  Discipline  as  a 
model.  I  then  concluded  that  your  church  was 
the  right  one. 

On  the  next  Sunday,  I  went  with  my  mother, 

and  you,  Mr.  D ,  preached  from  1  Cor.  i:  10,  "I 

beseech  you  brethren,  by  the  name  of  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  that  you  speak  the  same  thing,  and 
that  there  be  no  divisions  among  you,  but  that  you 
all  be  perfectly  joined  together  in  the  same  mind, 
and  in  the  same  judgment."  You  stated  that  a 
Christian  was  a  person  who  confessed  Christ,  and 
obeyed  the  gospel  without  respect  to  opinions,  and 
that  the  church  remained  undivided  for  three  hun- 
dred years,  and  that  it  was  only  men's  opinions 
that  now  divided  it.  That  articles  of  faith  argued 
that  the  word  of  God  was  not  sufficient,  and  they 
contain  men's  opinions  that  a  person  may  reject, 
and  still  be  a  Christian  as  they  admit.  You  then 
pointed  out  errors  in  M 's  Discipline. 

On  the  next  Sunday,  I  went  with  father  to  his 

church,  and  heard  you,  Mr.  B ,  preach  from  1 

Cor.  iii:  11,  ''No  other  foundation  can  any  man 
lay  than  is  laid,  which  is  Jesus  Christ."    You  gave 


390 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


US  an  eloquent  sermon  on  Christian  union,  and  in 
your  closing  remarks  you  stated  that  your  church 
had  only  twelve  short  articles  of  faith,  merely  to 
distinguish  your  brethren  from  others.  The 
Lord's  table  was  then  set,  and  my  father  was  per- 
mitted to  take  of  the  emblems,  while  you  excluded 
my  mother. 

Is  it  strange  that  men  should  doubt  when  one 
says,  I  am  of  John  the  Baptizer;  another  says,  I 
am  of  Luther;  another  says,  I  am  of  Calvin  ;  and 
another  says,  I  am  of  Wesley.  Were  either  of 
these  men  crucified  for  you  ?  or  were  you  baptized 
into  Luther,  or  Calvin,  or  Wesley?  If  you  men 
have  left  your  prejudices  at  home  and  this  meeting 
is  to  be  governed  by  the  Bible,  you  may  proceed. 

1st    Q.     If  we  unite,  what  shall  be  our  name? 

M .     Brethren,  the  founder  of   our  church 

lived  one  liundred  and  fifty  years  ago,  he  was  one 
of  the  purest  men,  and  probably  did  more  for  the 
spread  of  Christianity,  than  any  man  in  England; 
therefore  I  propose  that  the  church  be  called  for 

Wesley. 

B .     I  object  to  the  church  being  called  by 

the  name  of  the  founder  of  brother  M 's  church, 

but  would  propose  the  name  of  Baptist.     Of  John 


CHRISTIAN    UNION. 


391 


the  Baptist,  Jesus  said,  there  hath  not  risen  a  great- 

er  than  he. 

p .     I  object  to  calling  the  church  for  John 

the  Baptist,  as  he  was  dead  before  the  Christian 
church  was  started;  but  would  propose  that  the 
church  take  the  name  of  the  founder  of  our 
ehurch— he  started  our  church,  three  hundred 
and  forty  years  ago.  He  w^as  one  of  the  most 
learned  men,  and  displayed  more  zeal  than  any 
man  of  his  day.     I  propose  the  name  of  Calvin. 

J} .     I  will  not  consent. 

M -.     Nor  will  I. 

Moderator.— Gentlemen,  it  seems  that  this  meet- 
ing is  about  to  come  to  an  unfortunate  termination  ; 
as  long  as  you  have  a  plurality  of  names,  you  can- 
not unite,  for  a  variety  of  names  always  creates  a 
variety  of  churches.     If  age  constituted  a  right  to 
the  name,  the  Lutheran  church  is  ten  years  older 
than  the  Presbyterian,  and   the  Roman  Catholic 
ante-dates  the  Lutheran,  one  thousand  two  hun- 
dred and  twenty-five  years.     Let  me  read  from  the 
book  we   are   to   be   governed  by.      1  Cor.  iii:  4, 
"For  while  one  saith,  I  am  of  Paul;  and  another, 
lam  of  Apollos;  are  ye  not  carnal?^'     Acts  xi: 


392 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


If- 


\i 


26,  "The  disciples  were  called  Christians,  first  in 
Antioch."  Acts  xxvi:  28,  ''  Then  Agrippa  said  to 
Paul,  Almost  thou  persuadest  me  to  be  a  Chris- 
tian." Suetonius,  a  Roman  historian,  A.  D.  68, 
says,  "Christians  were  punished  with  death." 
Tacitus,  a  Roman  historian,  wrote,  A.  D.  64, 
"Nero  procured  the  Christians  to  be  accused." 
Pliny,  governor  of  Bithynia,  wrote,  A.  D.  107, 
"  The  Christians  are  a  harmless  people."  Marcus 
Antonius,  A.  D.  161,  "  Christians  die  in  a  manner 
to  persuade  another."  Hierocles,  A.  D.  303, 
"Christians  called  Jesus,  God."  Now,  as  the  fol- 
lowers of  Christ  were,  for  three  hundred  years, 
called  Christians,  had  you  not  better  return  to  the 
name  of  Christ,  as  he  was  the  founder  of  the 
church?  Christ  said,  "On  this  rock  I  will  build 
my  church."  If  the  church  belongs  to  Christ,  it 
should  wear  his  name.  And  the  apostle  calls  the 
church,  Christ's  bride;  then  let  her  wear  her  hus- 
band's name. 

p .     I  claim  to  be  a  Christian,  but  without 

something  added,  there  will  be  no  way  to  desig- 
nate men  of  different  views. 

M .     I  am  in  favor  of  the  name  Christian  ;  if 

you  will  not  call  it  the  Methodist  church,  nor  the 


CHRISTIAN   UNION. 


393 


Wesley  church,  then  I  agree  to  the  name  of  Chris- 
tian. The  early  Christians  differed  widely  in 
in  their  views  and  opinions,  and  yet  had  no  other 
name  for  three  hundred  years,  and  so  may  we. 

Disciple.  I  prefer  the  name  Disciple,  but  for 
the  sake  of  union,  I  agree  to  the  name  Christian. 

B.  and  P.     We  will  agree  to  that  name. 

Moderator. — "  That  question  is  settled ;  in  the 
future  the  name  will  be  the  church  of  Christ,  or 
Christian  church." 

2nd     Q.     Articles  of   faith.     P .      "  I  move 

that  we  adopt  our  Confession  of  Faith." 

M .     "  I  am  opposed  to  it,  but  will  offer  as  a 

substitute,  our  Discipline." 

B .     "  I  will  never  agree  to  either,  but  will 

offer  our  tw^elve  articles  of  faith ;  they  are  in  sub- 
stance found  in  the  Bible." 

D .     "I  will  not  consent;  if  they  are  not 

in  the  Bible,  they  are  not  binding.  If  they 
are  in  the  Bible  it  is  unnecessary  to  take  them  out." 

Moderator. — "Gentlemen,  you  can  never  agree 
unless  you  exercise  Christian  forbearance.  Let 
me  propose  that  you  throw  aside  as  the  fal- 
lible production  of  man,  all  jour  Articles,  Creeds, 


394 


REMINISCENCES    AND    SERMONS. 


Confessions  of  Faith,  and  Disciplines,  and  unite  on 
the  Bible,  as  you  all  say  that  it  is  all  that  is  neces- 
sary. It  was  all  the  early  Christians  had  to  govern 
them.  The  Psalmist  says,  in  the  nineteenth  psalm, 
"  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the 
soul,"  then  you  will  need  nothing  else." 

P .  "  Then  there  will  be  no  way  of  distin- 
guishing men  of  peculiar  view^s,  from  others." 

Moderator. — "  Do  you  all  admit  that  there  are 
Christians  in  other  denominations  beside  your 
own?  We  do.  Do  you  think  that,  that  in  which 
you  difter  from  others  is  essential  to  salvation  ? 
You  can  never  unite  on  opinions ;  they  are  private 
property.  For  the  sake  of  carrying  out  Christ's 
prayer,  we  all  agree  to  take  the  Bible  alone." 

3rd  Q.   Baptism.     P .    "I  do  not  see  how  we 

can  unite  on  this  proposition,  for  I  believe  that 
pouring  water  on  a  proper  subject,  is  baptism." 

M .     "Yes,  I  think  that  sprinkling  water  on 

a  proper  subject,  is  baptism. 

Moderator. — *'Do  you  men  think  that  immer- 
sion is  baptism  ?" 

P .  and  M .     "  Yes,  we  know  it  is,  but 

the  other  way  is  more  convenient." 


CHRISTIAN    UNION. 


395 


Moderator.     "  Mr.  B ,  and  D ,  do  you 

men  think  that  pouring  on  or  sprinkling,  is  bap- 
tism." 

"  We  do  think  with  John  Calvin,  the  found- 
er of  the  Presbyterian  church,  and  Wesley,  the 
founder  of  the  Methodist  church.  They  both  say 
that  immersion  was  the  ancient  mode.  Calvin's 
Institutes,  4  Book,  15  S,  "  The  word  baptize  sig- 
nifies to  immerse,  and  it  is  certain  that  immersion 
was  the  practice  of  the  ancient  church."  Wesley, 
in  his  notes  on  Rom.  vi:  4,  says,  "  alluding  here  to 
the  ancient  manner  of  baptizing  by  immersion." 

Moderator.  *'  If  immersion  was  the  ancient 
practice,  as  these  doctors  say,  I  would  ask  in  all 
candor,  who  had  the  authority  to  change  it?  Do 
you  say  that  baptism  is  not  essential  ?  Gal.  iii:  27, 
"  As  many  of  you  as  have  been  baptized  into 
Christ,  have  put  on  Christ."  Calvin,  in  his  notes 
on  Saul's  conversion,  says,  "  If  water  baptism  did 
not  wash  away  Saul's  sins,  what  made  Ananias 
tell  him  it  would  ?" 

P ,  M ,  B ,  and  D .      "  As  there 

are  some  doubts  about  sprinkling  and  pouring, 
and  as  there  are  no  doubts  about  immersion  being 
baptism,  we  will  adopt  it." 


396 


RBMINISCBNCBS   AND   SERMONS. 


Moderator. — "Gentlemen,  seeing  the  harmony 
and  Christian  spirit  that  has  prevailed  at  this 
meeting,  I  can  say,  not  in  the  language  of 
Agrippa,  "  Thou  almost  persuadest  me,"  but  would 
say,  not  almost,  but,  you  have  altogether  persuad- 
ed me  to  be  a  Christian.  Before  we  adjourn,  I 
would  ask  what  will  you  do  with  the  meeting 
houses;  in  this  town  of  about  five  hundred  inhabi- 
tants,  only  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
ever  attend  church.  One  house  will  seat  them  all. 
I  suggest  that  you  sell  all  the  houses  but  one;  give 
the  money  to  the  missionary  cause,  and  three  of 
you  preachers  go  to  destitute  places  and  preach  for 
the  flock  and  not  for  the  fleece." 

P ,  M ,  B ,  and  D .      "We    all 

vote  for  that  resolution  and  all  thank  you  for  the 
suggestion." 

Moderator.  "In  conclusion  let  me  suggest  in 
the  language  of  the  apostle  Paul,  that  "  you  all 
speak  the  same  thing."  Go  preach  the  death, 
burial,  and  resurection  of  Jesus.  1  Cor.  xv:  3, 
This  Christ  commanded  to  be  preached." 


396 


BBMINISCBKCES   AND   SKBMONS. 


■I' 


Moderator. — "Gentlemen,  seeing  the  harmony, 
and  Christian  spirit  that  has  prevailed  at  this 
meeting,  I  can  say,  not  in  the  language  of 
Agrippa,  "  Thou  almost  persuadest  me,"  but  would 
say,  not  almost,  but,  you  have  altogether  persuad- 
ed me  to  be  a  Christian.  Before  we  adjourn,  I 
would  ask  what  will  you  do  with  the  meeting 
houses;  in  this  town  of  about  five  hundred  inhabi- 
tants,  only  about  one  hundred  and  twenty-five 
ever  attend  church.  One  house  will  seat  them  all. 
I  suggest  that  you  sell  all  the  houses  but  one;  give 
the  money  to  the  missionary  cause,  and  three  of 
you  preachers  go  to  destitute  places  and  preach  for 
the  flock  and  not  for  the  fleece." 


M- 


B- 


and  D- 


— .  "We  all 
vote  for  that  resolution  and  all  thank  you  for  the 
suggestion." 

Moderator.  "In  conclusion  let  me  suggest  in 
the  language  of  the  apostle  Paul,  that  "  you  all 
speak  the  same  thing."  Go  preach  the  death, 
burial,  and  resurection  of  Jesus.  1  Cor.  xv:  3, 
This  Christ  commanded  to  be  preached." 


REMINISCENCES  AND  SERMONS. 


Just  issued  by  W.  D.  Frazee,  a  preacher  who  has  passed 
his  seventieth  milestone,  and  has  been  a  member  of  the 
church  for  more  than  fifty  years.  ,    ^ .  ^         . 

The  book  gives  a  valuable  sketch  of  church  history  for 
eighteen  hundred  years,  including  the  reformations  of  Lu^ 
ther,  Calvin,  Wesley,  etc.  It  records  admissions  made  dur- 
ing the  first  century  by  the  enemies  of  Christianity.  It  is 
interesting  as  a  work  of  fiction,  and  strictly  truthful  as  a 
history. 

M.  H.  Wilson,  of  Santa  Barbara,  writes:  "  It  is  one  of  the 
most  valuable  books  of  historical  events,  and  will  repay  a 
careful  reading." 

L.  B.  Wilkes,  of  Stockton,  writes:  "  W.  D.  Frazee's  valua- 
ble experiences,  coupled-  with  his  own  natural  and  acquired 
qualifications  for  such  a  work,  make  it  worthy  a  place  m 
our  best  libraries.  I  bought  a  copy  at  the  State  meeting. 
Persons  everywhere  will  do  themselves  good  by  reading  it. 

B.  F.  Coulter  writes:  '*  W.  D.  Frazee's  book  is  an  able, 
timely,  and  valuable  contribution  to  our  literature.*' 

William  Gardner  (State  evangelist)  writes:  "  W.  D.  Fra- 
zee's book  is  excellent." 

The  president  of  Monmouth  College,  Oregon,  wrote  to 
the  Harbinger:  "Permit  me,  through  your  columns,  to  say 
to  all  persons  that  W.  D.  Frazee's  *  Reminiscences  and  Ser- 
mons '  is  a  valuable  addition  to  our  current  literature.  It 
is  an  octavo  volume  of  400  pages,  neatly  bound  in  cloth. 
The  typography  is  good,  the  style  is  better,  and  the  matter 
is  superlative.  The  work  as  a  whole  is  unique  and  scholar- 
ly, and  merits  a  place  in  every  Christian  library.— Yours  in 
Christ,  T.  F.  Campbell." 

The  book  contains  nine  prophecies  that  are  in  the  Bible 
that  are  admitted  to  be  true  by  learned  infidels.  It  has 
likenesses  of  A.  Campbell,  B.  W.  Stone,  Raccoon  John 
Smith,  Walter  Scott,  J.  T.  Johnson,  B.  F.  Coulter,  and  the 
author. 
The   Gospel  Advocate  says:     "Have  you  read  Frazee's 


2  TBSTIMONIALS. 

*  Reminiscences  and  Sermons?  '  If  not,  you  had  better  get 
it,  and  learn  of  the  labors  and  privations  and  triumphs  of 
some  of  the  gospel  preachers  in  the  early  days  of  the  pres- 
ent century.  There  are,  moreover,  many  fine  sermons  and 
lectures  on  various  interesting  matters  in  this  book." 

David  Lipscomb  writes:  "  The  book  of  *  Reminiscences 
and  Sermons,'  by  W.  B.  Frazee,  is  a  book  of  397  pages,  filled 
with  interesting  and  instructive  recollections  of  the  men 
and  events  connected  with  the  early  days  of  the  effort  to 
restore  the  Christian  religion,  in  faith  and  practice,  to  the 
original  and  divine  order.  Nothing  outside  of  the  Bible  is 
more  helpful  and  instructive  to  a  man  than  the  study  of  the 
labors,  trials,  and  persecutions  of  true  and  faithful  men 
trying  to  call  the  world  back  to  God.  This  book  gives  true 
pictures  and  many  sayings  of  faithful  men  doing  this  work 
under  difficulties  and  trials.  The  sermons  are  short,  in- 
structive, and  true  to  the  Bible.  We  heartily  commend  the 
book  to  the  public." 

From  the  Indiana  Standard:  "Recently  it  has  been  our 
privilege  to  peruse  a  neat  volume  of  397  pages  of  *  Reminis- 
cences and  Sermons,'  by  Brother  W.  D.  Frazee.  He  tells 
the  story  of  the  early  work  of  Alexander  Campbell,  B.  W. 
Stone,  Walter  Scott,  and  many  other  preachers  of  an  early 
day,  and  then  gives  us  some  of  his  wisest  and  best  thoughts 
in  the  sermons  that  follow.  Every  disciple  should  have  a 
copy,  and  should  carefully  read  and  study  it.  Brother  Fra- 
zee is  now  an  old  man.  He  has  kept  abreast  of  the  times, 
and  in  this  book  he  leaves  the  world  a  legacy  that  will  be 
doing  good  when  he  shall  have  gone  to  join  the  general 
assembly  and  church  of  the  firstborn." 

From  the  Christian  Standard  (Cincinnati,  O.) :  "  Our 
venerable  brother,  W.  D.  Frazee,  was  with  us  on  the  even- 
ing of  the  26th  of  this  month,  and  delivered  one  of  his 
characteristic,  instructive  discourses,  to  the  delight  of  our 
people.  He  has  remarkable  intellectual  vigor,  and  is  full 
of  zeal  in  the  Master's  work.  He  has  published  a  book  of 
*  Reminiscences  and  Sermons,'  and  gives  a  detailed  account 
of  the  rise  and  growth  of  the  Christian  Church.  The  book 
contains  397  pages,  and  is  full  of  valuable  information  not 
usually  found  in  works  of  this  kind.  Send  for  this  book, 
and  make  no  mistake  in  your  selection. — H.  C.  Buff." 

W.- M.  Thrasher,  expresident  of  Butler  University,  writes 
in  the  Indianapolis  paper:  "Brother  W.  D.  Frazee,  for 
twenty  years  evangelist  in  California,  and  a  man  of  wide 


TESTIMONIALS. 

acquaintance  with  the  early  leaders  of  the  EeforSe'tm: 
is  now  making  a  visit  to  I°dX«V?„°„\^fSniscences  and 
bracing  a  --^  ^^^^f  E^lTblgTead  by  all  who 
sermons.  The  °°°'' '^^^^^.-iiouncing  human  creeds,  pre- 
love  the  mo^ej?«jt  ^^;<%^'JX  only  authoritative  source 
rilfvine  mth^    Werpeft  %  be 'extensively  purchased 

"iTlai    the   learned   r  f  s^?'*"  ^Ulr  W  ^FrS 
Texas,  in  the  Go^c  ^^^^^Xl'^.ys  wi?h  us  last  week,  to 

his  most^excellent  book  /  ^-^^^iXsSr'wtThe  wm 

l.^V7rrinted°:n-o?q^'dSi:n^orhl^"oo^         ^-^  ^^^^ 
entirely  disposed  ol." 

^'■kF'  ^fa'f  R^;other-  When  I  think  of  the  days  when  you 
My  Dear  Brotuer.  y:^'="  ^  weeks  and  months  we  have 
and  I  were  young;  of  the  'i«y\r^^'5p'/^to  different  parts 
spent  together;  of  ""F  ^t/ ifve^  Specially  that  trip  to 
of  the  domain  in  which  we  lived,  especiaiiy  vn  f 

lalt  Creek  (we  have  ^oth  been  up  SaH  Creek), ^hese 

-rss-ZT^^n-bS^^Jf 

^-tl^-t^usl-aU-feTo^^^S^^^ 

.L^^vvTh-iiJuVh-c^S^^^^^^ 

i^/TvJrTfeL'oX  espSlV  this:    There    "s    a   lar^e 
aSounlof  unwritten  history  among  our  people^hat     s 

known  to  }>^i'Z.r%Z^Z  S'your  observations  in 

"hyk^sCTrsu^crvSr  tiiaJ  iSr be  in  the  li/rary 
^^ATlTcWe'y- Wis  letter  is,  when  you  come  to  In- 


:tM 


4  TKSTIMONIALfl 

dianapolis,  come  to  my  house  and  stop  with  me  and  make 
my  house  your  home. 

With  much  love,  I  am,  very  truly,  your  friend, 

H.  R.  Pritchard. 

1007  N.  Senate  Ave.,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  Oct.  15,  1895. 

W.  D.  Frazee  in  Moberly. — This  excellent  and  aged 
brother  spent  two  days  in  Moberly  recently,  and  favored 
us  with  one  of  his  excellent  lectures  on  **  Fulfilled  Proph- 
ecy." To  say  that  we  were  delighted  with  him,  both  as  an 
accomplished  Christian  gentleman  and  an  accurate  ex- 
pounder of  the  Scriptures,  is  to  simply  tell  the  truth.  He 
was  my  guest,  and  his  presence  was  a  rich  benediction. 
I  wish  a  thousand  of  our  citizens  had  heard  his  lecture. 
His  book,  '*  Reminiscences  and  Sermons,"  is  a  storehouse 
of  useful  information  and  suggestion,  and  it  should  be  read 
by  every  disciple  of  Christ.  Especially  would  the  young 
be  greatly  benefited  by  reading  it.  Our  young  people  are 
not  as  well  informed  as  they  ought  to  be  as  regards  the  rise 
of  our  movement,  and  this  book  will  give  them  a  good  view 
of  the  stirring  events  that  were  enacted  in  the  days  of  "  the 
fathers  "  of  this  Reformation. — J.  B.  Briney. 

W.  D.  Frazee,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  is  now  in  St.  Louis, 
lecturing  on  "  Fulfilled  Prophecies."  He  is  making  a  tour 
of  the  States  in  the  interest  of  a  book  written  by  himself 
on  the  religious  movement  inaugurated  by  Barton  Stone, 
the  Campbells,  and  others,  of  which  he  had  p)ersonal 
knowledge.  The  book  contains  pictures  of  the  chief  actors 
in  this  Reformation,  and  is  now  in  the  third  edition. 
Brother  Frazee  is  seventy-four  years  old,  never  wore 
glasses,  speaks  with  animation,  has  a  strong  voice,  and 
astonishes  his  hearers  with  his  wonderful  memory.  He 
spoke  to  a  large  audience  at  the  Second  Christian  Church 
on  Sunday  night,  and  delighted  them  with  his  talk. — Chris- 
tian-Eimngelist,  St.  Louis. 

S.  Craig,  president  of  the  National  Editorial  Convention 
and  editor  of  the  Citrograph,  publishes:  "Judge  W.  D.  Fra- 
zee is  the  author  of  several  books,  and  has  been  a  prolific 
and  vigorous  writer  for  the  press.  He  is  a  man  of  many 
and  varied  attainments,  and  has  a  fund  of  anecdote  and 
notes  of  personal  travel  that,  with  the  charm  of  inimitable 
delivery,  make  him  one  of  the  most  charming  of  com- 
panions. Our  own  personal  acquaintance  with  Judge  Fra- 
zee dates  back  to  1854.  All  his  life  long  he  has  been  a 
thorough  Christian  gentleman;  higher  praise  w^e  know  not 


•mSTIMONIALS.  ^ 

how  to  bestow.  May  his  life  be  spared  many  years,  for 
earth  holds  few  as  true,  as  noble,  as  unselfish,  as  devoted, 
as  Judge  W.  B.  Frazee." 

The  following  is  from  that  able,  eloquent,  and  lucid 
S  R  Ezzell  (author  of  the  "  Great  Legacy  ") :  Remmis- 
cences  and  Sermons"  is  a  valuable  book  of  400  pages  on 
various  important  subjects,  biblical  and  historical,  ancient 
and  modern— all  so  tersely,  vigorously,  and  humorously 
treated  as  to  impart  new  interest  to  every  theme.  This 
rare  book  is  admirably  adapted  to  all  classes  and  to  the 
accomplishment  of  great  and  lasting  good.  Every  family 
should  buy  it,  read  it,  and  lend  it,  and  thus  use  $1  to  the 
very  best  advantage." 

The  following  is  from  that  able,  eloquent,  and  lucid 
editor  of  the  Piano  (Texas)  Courier,  Miss  N.  McChesney: 
"  W  D  Frazee's  *  Reminiscences  and  Sermons  should  by 
all  me'ans  be  read  by  every  member  of  the  Christian 
Church— first,  because  of  its  authenticity  as  a  history  of 
the  church;  second,  because  it  is  intensely  interesting  and 
reliable." 

"Reminiscences  and  Sermons,"  by  W.  D.  Frazee,  is  a 
book  of  rare  merit.  The  history  of  reformations,  and  espe- 
ciallv  of  the  "  Current  Reformation,"  brings  out  some  facts 
not  generally  known.  Originality  and  deep  research  are 
marked  features.  I  most  heartily  recommend  the  book  for 
its  intrinsic  value.— J.  C.  Mason,  Houston,  Texas. 

Brother  Mason  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  ablest  preachers 
in  Texas. 

Judge  J.  G.  Mathews,  of  Greenville,  Texas,  says:  "  I  have 
a  hiffh  appreciation  of  the  book,  '  Reminiscences  and  Ser- 
mons '  bv  W.  D.  Frazee— so  much  so  that  I  paid  five  dollars 
for  four  copies,  and  would  not  take  ten  dollars  for  my  copy, 
unless  I  could  get  another  like  it.  It  is  ^^^^^^^"1*  «^,^.^^?; 
time  of  study.    No  student  of  God's  word  should  fail  to 

avail  himself  of  it." 

W  W  Dowling,  the  Sunday  school  man,  of  St.  Louis,  Mo., 
under  date  of  August  13,  1896,  writes:  ^  **  I  have  known 
Brother  William  D.  Frazee,  of  California,  the  author  of 
*  Reminiscences  and  Sermons,'  for  a  great  many  years  as  a 
faithful,  earnest  Christian  minister,  and  I  take  Pleasure  m 
commending  him  as  worthy  of  all  confidence,  and  the  book 
referred  to  above  as  a  most  interesting  and  instructive 
work." 


6 


TESTIMONIALS. 


Dear  Brother  Frazee:  I  have  been  much  interested  in 
the  recent  reexamination  of  the  pages  of  your  book.  The 
material  furnished  is  simply  invaluable,  and,  when  the  time 
comes  for  writing  the  history  of  the  Reformation,  it  will 
enter  largely  into  it.  You  are  doing  the  best  work  of  your 
useful  life.  J.  L.  Darsie. 

Little  Rock,  Ark.,  July  22,  1896. 

Brother  Frazee's  book  is  worthy  a  place  on  every  book 
table  in  our  land. — H.  Barber,  of  McAllister,  in  Christian- 
EvangeliM, 

Brother  W.  D.  Frazee,  of  Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  was  here  on 
the  3d,  and  gave  a  very  interesting  and  instructive  lecture 
on  the  **  Seven  Churches  of  Revelation."  Brother  Frazee 
is  a  great  surprise.  He  is  seventy-six  years  old  in  body  and 
thirty  in  mind. — L.  0.  Herrold,  pastor,  Walla  Walla,  Wash., 
November  5. 

The  churches  of  the  Northwest  have  been  blessed  by  a 
visit,  recently,  from  that  veteran  preacher  and  author,  W. 
D.  Frazee.  His  presence  is  a  blessing  to  any  church. 
Eugene  gave  him  two  large  audiences  and  received  two 
strong  sermons  on  "Fulfillment  of  Prophecy."  Churches 
everywhere  will  be  benefited  by  these  lectures,  and  also  by 
a  careful  reading  of  his  book,  **  Reminiscences  and  Ser- 
mons."— Morton  L.  Rose,  in  Pacific  Christian,  January  27, 
1898.  .  J       » 

Brother  W.  D.  Frazee,  author  of  "  Reminiscences  and  Ser- 
mons," was  with  us  November  22  and  23,  and  gave  two 
strong  and  entertaining  lectures.  He  is  seventy-six  years 
old,  but  still  youthful  in  spirit,  and  able  to  travel  and  lec- 
ture every  night.  May  he  be  permitted  for  years  yet  to 
carry  his  benediction  of  knowledge,  experience,  and  sweet 
spirit  to  many  churches.  His  book  will  be  found  helpful 
to  those  who  are  doing  the  Bethany  reading  courses.  It 
is  full  of  suggestions.— B.  E.  Utz,  in  Pastor's  Visit,  Spokane, 
Wash. 

Brother  Frazee  occupied  the  Salem  pulpit  recently.  His 
discourses  were  an  inspiration.  What  a  grand  old  man! 
May  the  Lord  help  us  all  to  grow  old  as  he  has  grown  old. 
Let  the  churches  everywhere  receive  him;  he  is  a  jnessen- 
ger  of  the  Lord  with  good  tidings  in  his  mouth.— H.  A.  Den- 
ton, Salem,  Ore.,  December  27,  1897. 


TESTIMONIALS. 

Los  Angeles,  Cal.,  Oct.  ^^^^^^^^^ 
"  ^o^psf  nf  leaS:  ^^'g^TcI  f^o  V.  and  prace.  be  multl- 

rglVes  n.e  great  ple-ure  to  state  t^at  I  ^ave^-- 
^^^A      TXT    n    Prayee  for  over  twenty  years,  auu  xi.^      r 
Elder  W.  D.  ±  razee  lui  u  Christian   and   able 

sonal  knowledge   of   l^,i%^^^*^^^^   do  heartily  commend 

children  wherever  his  lot  may  be  cas^;  ^^e  -  -^ -* 
Zl  iTnEstt^icl'  h»^1ustl.  -tUles^^^^^^^ 
MSrotth%" VrSS'church  of  Christ,  ios  Angeles. 
Cal. 


h 


( 


f 

4 


n 


I 


f 


7f 


%  tii  :      *".:«■■  .%id'  i« 


COLUMBIA  UNIVERSITY   LIBRARIES 

This  book  is  due  on  the  date  indicated  below,  or  at  the 
expiration  of  a  definite  period  after  the  date  of  borrowing,  as 
provided  by  the  library  rules  or  by  special  arrangement  with 
the  Librarian  in  charge. 


■ 


DATE  BORROWED 


DATE  DUE 


DATE  BORROWED 


DATE  DUE 


C28  (449)  M50 


\A\\  ji'!Sk'- '•'^"^''■'■1^ 


im".j«'»ir||iiH|:4i.  vi\%  j;.Wi^^ 


% 


11 


■m 


COLUMB  A  UNIVERS 


TY 


0025981226 


938*92 


F869 


938.92 


Frazee 


F<369 


Reniniscences  and  sermons. 


^^^ 


.11^: 


-v«/ 


■"H». 


Jf.. 


v^U 


K  :.1919« 


,K*S/ 


